


What it means to be Uchiha

by Zoettra



Category: Naruto
Genre: AU, Butterfly Effect, Female Protagonist, Gen, MC is scared and has to learn to be brave, Mistakes Are Made, OC, Original Character - Freeform, Reincarnation, Self-Insert, Semi-SI, Tags May Change, Twins, mc is also overly curious, my attempt at a serious OCSI, romance is not the focus, slow, team seven
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2019-01-16 09:20:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 57,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12339864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoettra/pseuds/Zoettra
Summary: Getting reborn sucks, getting reborn into the narutoverse? Cool, but still sucks. Reborn as Sasuke Uchiha's twin sister and younger sister to Itachi Uchiha? I'll just go ahead and file that away into the Nope department.I'm really not cut out for this sort of life.Reincarnation OC/Semi SI.





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've spent the last few weeks reading a bunch of OC reincarnation and SI fics and was inspired to try it myself. If you have not read Dreaming of Sunshine by Silver Queen, I highly suggest it, it's amazing.  
> I've never shared or posted my stuff online before, my best friend is usually my only reader, so I'm a bit shy and there might be errors (please tell me if you spot any) since I have no beta (yet) but please be patient with me! Updates will be scattered and will depend on my motivation.  
> Thanks for reading!

Reincarnation was something you would think about in the dead of night at 3am when you can't sleep. It was one of those things that might pop up in thought at random times and result in a lot of speculation and what ifs. At the end of the day, the big million dollar question was always this –

“ _What happens when I die?”_

Where do I go? What do I become? What am I?

Do I just... disappear? Do I cease to exist in both body and soul?

Do _souls_ even exist?

Does this giant clusterfuck of a universe swallow me whole and poof me out wherever my cosmic energy is needed?

I was never one for religion. I didn't particularly follow any religion. I took bits and pieces of many and thought 'yea, I believe this' and went with it, whatever subtle peace of mind it gave.

I believed that there was some greater power, incomprehensible, that did not give two fucks about anyone and just kept the cogs of the universe turning so we didn't all die from a giant existence-based implosion or something.

When I actually _did_ die, there was no white light, no pearly gates or hellish fire. No ghostly cousins, apparitions, or visions.

There was nothing.

Like being asleep, but without eyelids. Lacking the sensation of dreaming or being awake. No requirement to breathe, as if I no longer had lungs. Not being able to move my arms or legs. Nothing to see, hear, touch, smell, or taste.

Calm, quiet, empty darkness.

Thinking back on it now that I’m not there, it seems quite scary. I don't know how long I was actually in that seemingly timeless void, and I don't really wish to be there again.

Needless to say, I didn't remain in that empty void forever. I was eventually reincarnated.

I didn't end up as a blade of grass or some street cat or pet dog. I wasn't reborn as some rich person or dirt poor homeless.

I ended up being reborn as the twin sister to Sasuke Uchiha, younger sister to Itachi Uchiha and daughter to Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha.

At first I was in denial, that the names were all just a coincidence somehow, until the proof started to show once I could make sense of the world through my own eyes – headbands, flak jackets, _shinobi_.

Being a baby with minimal functionality the most I could do was scream and cry when the panic bubbling in my mind managed to reach the surface.

At first I thought that I was being punished. Why else would I end up _here_ of all places? Being able to use wicked jutsu was cool and all but that didn't hide the fact that people learned them to kill other people and the world was unforgiving. Assassination was something even a civilian could pay for. I wouldn't last long here.

Being in the Uchiha clan only made it worse, given all the hell it's members go through, not to mention the knowledge of the impending massacre by my older brothers hand.

Chakra was another thing I had no idea how to handle. When my chakra coils started forming it wasn't a pleasant time, sort of like gumming but there was no satisfying outlet like gnawing on everything. It was like having multiple bug bites under your skin itching at the same time – the thought momentarily making me thankful I wasn't an Aburame. My irritation was apparently _normal_ according to my new parents, and thus time moved onward.

I learned that my new name was Aiko Uchiha.

I eventually picked up on the language, Japanese. I didn't know a lick of it outside of repetition from watching anime, and given how I wasn't a hardcore anime fan that binged a series in a day in my past life, I was sorely lacking in regular exposure enough to recognize more than a few single words. The new roadblock was impending. It helped that I was treated with patience and like a child, if a bit embarrassing, it gave me time to comprehend without a translation book.

Oddly enough, Itachi seemed to be the one putting the most effort into teaching Sasuke and myself. Mikoto didn't slack off, but as expected, raising twins was exhausting. Whenever she wasn't taking care of us she was taking care of the home, Itachi, helping Fugaku or other mothers. She was a busybody, and a retired jōnin.

Getting used to calling Mikoto 'mom' and Fugaku 'dad' was a struggle all on its own. They technically were my parents, in this life but... I _had_ a mom and dad. It took me a while to move forward, but I would never forget, at least not completely. I'll admit, I'm an overly sentimental person.

Itachi was very gentle and careful. When he did take care of us, he was patient, even if we still slurred and babbled like idiots. He didn't seem to mind being the stand in caretaker whenever Mikoto was busy. He was 5 years older than me and Sasuke, but yet seemed more mature than his age, even in my eyes. He never really complained or got upset with us. He was relatively quiet and indifferent for the most part. When he did smile, I couldn't help but smile back.

Fugaku was even more busy than Mikoto. When he was around, he would hold me or Sasuke and speak with Itachi but there was a stiffness to him and an air of authority that seemed to follow him home from whatever clan business he was handling that day. I couldn't help but wonder, was the coup d'état already becoming an issue? The nine tailed fox's attack wasn't that long ago after all.

When Fugaku did speak to us, it was about the clan, the sharingan, and general details that seemed to only be spoken to fill the silence or some sort of information he thought Itachi or us could benefit from.

By the time I was three, I was toddling around, asking the incessant question of _why_.

It didn't help that Sasuke did too, much to my amusement. We were like parrots.

Despite being Sasuke's twin, I looked more like Mikoto, my blue-tinted black hair hung straight down unlike Sasuke's that tended to reach for the sky. My face was more similar to Sasuke's, though. My skin was pale and my eyes the generic Uchiha-black. Whenever I saw my reflection, I couldn't help but stare.

This was me now.

_This is who I am._

Then like a slap to the face, Itachi was already 8 and a genin with his sharingan awakened.

A painful reminder of the world I was in, and what would come.

 


	2. Chapter 2

****I had no idea why I seemed to be more mischievous in this life than compared to my last. I really wasn't sure. Maybe it was due to the fact that I had a sibling the same age as myself to get into trouble with, or maybe it was because I was just a bit too warped from the ever-present realization that I was in a fictional universe that was my new reality and recklessness was a coping mechanism.

I liked to think it was the former option.

Either way, I somehow convinced Sasuke to help me sneak a cat into the living room. The Uchiha district was oddly filled with cats. Maybe it had to do with the Inuzuka's and their dogs scattered around the village.

I sat across from Sasuke on the tan matted floor, a low table and seating cushions was in the middle, and a wooden cabinet was off to the side. To our left, were sliding doors that led into the back yard and to our right was a hall that lead to other parts of the house. Sasuke had a slender black cat held in his small arms as we both spoiled it with attention. All was going according to plan, until it let out a soft _meow_.

“...Aiko, Sasuke, what are you two doing?” Mom asked from the kitchen. Her voice held the familiar underlying authoritative edge that meant whatever action came next depended on our answer.

My eyes snapped back to Sasuke, who in turn looked back with wide eyes, seeming to plead with me to fix this. I had no idea why he bothered following along with my ideas if it meant he wasn't going to own up to the consequences with me.

_Damn jōnin level hearing and awareness._

“Playing.” I called back, trying to keep the tense nervous edge out of my voice and failing.

“Playing with _what_?” Mom called back. I involuntarily flinched at her accusatory tone.

Oh she _knew_.

I bit my bottom lip as I eyed the cat in Sasuke's lap, before looking back to meet his gaze. Sasuke looked nervous and I knew he wouldn't be speaking up. Despite all his bravery and childish stubbornness of a preschooler, mom was still one to be feared.

“... A cat.” I said, my voice coming out tentative and shy. I swallowed hard, biting my lip as I waited for the scolding.

All movement and clattering in the kitchen stopped and a few moments latter, mom showed up in the living room, one eyebrow raised as her gaze shifted from me, to Sasuke, and to the black cat in his lap.

“You need to ask permission before bringing a cat in here, you two.” Mom chided, letting out a sigh as she walked over to us and crouched down. She reached out to pet the cat while she spoke. “This ones name is Mokutan. He's a lazy one.”

I guess Mokutan was a better name than what I originally expected it to be – _Kuro_.

“You recognize Mokutan?” Sasuke asked, repositioning the feline in his grasp as he eyed our mother curiously. “But there are lots of cats around here.”

“Mokutan hangs around here often enough to be recognizable. Itachi likes him too.” Mom explained, before reaching down to pick Mokutan up and move to put him back outside. “Do you two have any other plans for the day?” She asked as Mokutan leapt from her arms and bound off from sight. “The day's still early.”

“I wanted to train.” Sasuke said, and glanced at me expectantly while I leaned back onto the floor. “Want to train together, Aiko?”

I shrugged. “Alright.” Then paused, glancing at mom as she towered above us. Meeting my eye, she raised an eyebrow. “Mom, when is Itachi going to be home?”

“Probably not until late, but he'll be home.” Mom assured me. I shifted on the floor till I was leaning on my elbows.

“I want to practice my kunai throwing.” I told Sasuke. “I'm getting better.”

Sasuke blinked at me before a smirk broke across his face. “I won't let you beat me.” He said, grinning as we both shot to our feet. Sasuke and I ran to our rooms to grab our weapons holsters. Mom yelled at us not to run in the house, and I flinched at the sound. No matter what reality I landed in, I still hated loud noises and yelling.

Once I had my weapon holsters in place I _walked_ to the doors that led into the backyard. Mom stood guard in front of them, arms crossed. _Uh oh_. My fingers fiddled with the bottom hem of my shirt nervously as I avoided meeting her gaze.

“How many times do I have to tell you two to not run in the house?” Mom scolded just as Sasuke came to stop beside me. “ _Especially_ with weapons.”

“Sorry...” I said, hearing Sasuke mirror me. “It won't happen again.”

A silence hung in the air and I dared a glance up. Mom eyed us for a few more moments, before sighing. “You two are going to be starting at the academy by the end of the week. Please be a little more careful.”

“We will!” I chirped, wanting to be free of the tense atmosphere as quickly as possible. She raised an eyebrow at me but stepped aside, letting us barrel out of the door and into the back yard. Some training logs were positioned across the yard, a bulls-eye painted onto their side. Given the size of the area, it worked as a small training field on top of just being a backyard.

“Sasuke, do you think we'll have cool classmates?” I asked as I came to a stop a good distance in front of my designated training log and moved into the proper stance, withdrawing a kunai from it's pouch at my right thigh.

“No one will be better than us.” He countered with a smug smile as he stood a few feet to my left. “We'll be the top of our class! Just like Itachi!”

There it was. I inwardly cringed when I thought of Sasuke striving to impress our father and Itachi. Despite being a reincarnation, I did grow quite fond of Sasuke and Itachi. They were my brothers, regardless of whatever circumstances put me here.

It might have been a bit difficult to accept them as family at first but they were the only thing really grounding for me in this world. Something solid that helped me feel like I wasn't going to float away.

I didn't try as hard as Sasuke. At least not so hard that I wore myself ragged. I wasn't going to let Itachi's success bother me nor dad's favoritism. I was just going to get by, survive, and try to keep the clan stable.

That last bit was still a work in progress since I had no idea _how_ to, but one step at a time. I was going to get strong enough to protect myself, that was my current goal. I didn't care to be some kind of powerhouse like Naruto. I just needed to be good enough to _survive_.

“You'll be great in your own way, Sasuke.” I said, smiling at my brother as a kunai flew from my grasp, impaling into the training log with a resounding _thunk_. Not quite a bulls-eye, but close. “I bet you'll even invent your own jutsu!” I finished, withdrawing another kunai from my holster.

Sasuke looked even more determined. “Something no ones even thought of!” He said, hurling another kunai at his practice log. _Thunk_. Bulls-eye.

When I was first introduced to kunai and other weapons, it was with the utmost care and instruction. Being in a clan meant we were exposed to training earlier than civilian kids.

Having never handled a weapon, a _real_ combat-ready weapon in my old life, of course the first thing I did was poke myself with a kunai (much to my moms shock). When a dot of blood formed I deduced that _yes, these are sharp enough to kill a man_. Why did they allow us to wield sharp weapons? I don't care if they were supervising us, who the hell gives a _five year old a_ weapon?

I ended up preferring kunai and shuriken over senbon. Once we were actually in the academy, mom said she would introduce us to ninja wire and trapping, which I was excited for, since it was something I wanted to learn. Itachi seemed interested in helping with that lesson as well.

Dad was sort of like a drill sergeant whenever he could help us train. When he was able to help us, the subjects varied but he was the most pushy with our clan taijutsu and ninjutsu. He kind of reminded me of an old high school math teacher from my past life that was intimidating enough to make me want to succeed to avoid having to do it all again.

At first I was awful at throwing anything, but then Itachi helped us and my general aim got better to the point that I at least _hit_ the target, not a bulls-eye but at least it didn't wiz past it into the bushes or fall short in midair. I couldn't help but nonchalantly wonder how this skill would carry over to darts. Shinobi were probably banned from playing civilian games just for the sheer skill set advantage.

We were put on routine morning training that involved lots of running and stretching exercises that would make my old self groan. Sometimes me and Sasuke would be pit against each other to spar lightly with taijutsu.

I feel I should mention that I never did a scrap of combat in my old life nor a lot of PE. I didn't take any self defense classes. I never got into fights. I was a pacifist.

So when I was told to, quite frankly, beat up my twin brother, I was a little hesitant. The very first time we spared was little under a year ago and it was the most awkward and sorry excuse for a fight I think I'd ever thought possible. The punches and kicks were extremely light and a lot of it was spent tripping over each other.

Once we actually got a bit more serious about it though, Itachi was thrown into the mix.

He was hesitant, I could practically sense it in his chakra – pulled in close and still. He never actually hit us though, or used his sharingan. He was full on blocking and redirecting our attacks. Me and Sasuke ended up hurting ourselves more than anything. It was almost embarrassing.

“Who do you think will awaken their sharingan first?” I asked, wanting to fill the growing silence. I didn't really enjoy being left to my own thoughts. I threw another kunai, my pouch nearly empty. _Thunk._ Almost a bulls-eye.

“Everything’s a challenge for you isn't it?” Sasuke said, and I could practically hear him roll his eyes.

 _Thunk_. _Thunk. Thunk._

“It's not like you don't enjoy the challenge.” I shot back. “I bet you'll awaken yours first.” I added smugly, whilst letting loose another kunai.

 _Thunk_.

Bulls-eye.

 _Finally_.

My words seemed to surprise Sasuke, because his kunai flew past the log and into the bushes behind it.

“You really think so?” He asked, turning to me with hope-filled eyes, a broad smile on his face. You'd think I just told him the best secret in the world. It was actually kind of cute.

Sometimes it was difficult to imagine Sasuke becoming stiff and emotionally distant like how he was in canon. The Sasuke in front of me, my twin brother, my _family_ , was so... expressive that it was difficult to imagine him becoming any less so.

_I didn't want to lose this._

“I know so.” I said, a catlike grin spreading across my face.

“Well than, I bet you'll awaken your sharingan first.” Sasuke said, smiling again as he threw his next kunai. _Thunk_.

I felt a sudden tug in my chest of apprehension. Sharingan was an... iffy subject for me. On one hand it would be beneficial, on the other I had no idea what would happen if I _did_ activate my sharingan. In my old life, I was as blind as a bat. I had brick lenses for glasses. I would mistake small children for trash cans.

 _Let it not be known that Aiko Uchiha was scared of awakening her sharingan,_ I thought grimly.

People wanted it too much, people like _Danzō_ , so I was scared of getting my eyes ripped out for starters, and despite all the explanations on it, I was still a bit nervous that it would hurt. Somehow. Temporary blurry vision and overexertion upon awakening it for the first time was still a bit alarming given that I’d probably be in a battle when it activates. Hell, the mangekyō sharingan could lead to _blindness_. It almost made me want _normal_ eyeballs.

There was no way in hell I was saying that out loud though.

Despite everything, being reborn as Sasuke's sister in the Uchiha clan certainly gave me a lot of things to deal with. Things I wasn't sure I could handle.

Then there was Itachi.

My older brother, the one who would eventually massacre the clan.

If I didn't have preexisting memories of this world, I would never think it possible.

_Itachi? Kind and gentle Itachi? My older brother, responsible for massacring our clan? Preposterous._

First time around Sasuke didn't have a sister, so I had no idea if I would be included in the death count. Sasuke was the _only_ survivor.

Was there a need for two? Sasuke survived because he had no idea of the situation. He was spared. Danzō allowed it. Would I receive the same mercy? Who's to say Tobi wouldn't finish me off himself if Itachi couldn’t?

That thought process always turned ugly and made me become suddenly distant of Itachi and overly quiet. It didn't help that he would ask if I was upset with him. What could I say?

Sometimes I was even _scared_ of Itachi without meaning to.

I'm scared of the future.

Fucking _terrified_.

_I can't do **anything**._

I didn't realize I was gripping my kunai too tight, knuckles white, until Sasuke gripped my shoulder and shook me lightly, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“You're doing that thing again, Aiko.” Sasuke murmured, brows knit together with worry. “Are you okay?”

As I tried to speak, a lump formed in my throat as I looked at Sasuke. My thoughts flickered to him on the floor, Itachi standing over the corpses of our parents.

I coughed and nodded, looking away. “Fine.” I murmured, not wanting him to see the fear in my eyes.

There was something intimate about knowing that someone was going to die–knowing the circumstances and events that lead up to it. It was different from watching it happen on a screen, in an anime, or on the pages of a manga. They were tangible. They were real. I speak with them on a daily basis. I _know_ them.

Sasuke stared at me a bit longer, seeming as if he was trying to tell if I was lying or not, but apparently decided to let the topic drop. “...We should go get dango. We can bring some home for Itachi later.”

Whether he was doing it to distract me or for Itachi, I didn't know. Maybe he was going to kill two birds with one stone. I wasn't going to complain.

“I-I'll collect my kunai than.” I said, nodding and working on a smile. “Go tell mom.”

Sasuke looked between me and the kunai for a split second before taking off into the house.

It didn't take me long to gather up our kunai. After depositing our gear in our rooms we went out the front door and to the nearest dango shop. It was within the Uchiha district so we didn't have far to go. The only other one I knew of that was Itachi's favorite was outside the district, and literally called _'Dango Shop'._

Compared to my old world, this one let kids loose a lot faster and earlier than I was used to. Sasuke and myself could already run all over the village, we just had to tell mom first. And we couldn't leap from rooftop to rooftop, _yet_ , but when we could, I knew how I was going to be traveling.

The small shop wasn't too busy. The smell of sweet dango and various teas was light in the air, inviting. The few tables it did have were relatively empty and the occupants of the ones not empty were people I didn't recognize, besides the Uchiha clan symbol on their backs or upper arms. When I was first exposed to the world, I could never get over how the Uchiha seemed to want to brand everything under the sun. Even their underwear.

The owner, an elderly Uchiha by the name of Chichi with a very grandma-like persona, recognized us before we even reached the counter.

“Well now, if it isn't my two favorite grandchildren.” Chichi said warmly, looking us over as she spoke. Her gray hair was pulled up in a bun and her round face had a fair amount of wrinkles. Crows feet sat at the edge of her dark eyes.

She wasn't our _actual_ grandmother, but she refereed to every young person as her grandchild. Even Itachi.

“We'd like some dango, please.” I said, smiling widely as we came to a stop in front of the counter. Sasuke pulled out what money mom gave him and placed it on the counter. We were relatively short, and barely tall enough to see over it.

“Well now, why not some tea with your dango? Are you two in a hurry?” Chichi asked, glancing at Sasuke.

“We were training,” Sasuke started. “and decided to take a break. We were going to take some dango home for Itachi.”

 _Because god knows that boy needed more dango,_ I thought dryly.

“How thoughtful!” Chichi exclaimed, her smile widening as she pat Sasuke on the head affectionately. Sasuke frowned at the sudden contact.

“Chichi-!” He started, but the elder Uchiha already withdrew her hand.

“My you are just like Itachi!” She said, more so to herself than us. “How about we all have a cup of tea, on the house. I want to speak with you two.”

I blinked, looking at Sasuke quizzically. _What could Chichi have to talk to us about?_ As if having read my mind, Sasuke just shrugged. I turned my attention back to Chichi. “What do you want to talk about?”

The older woman was already moving to the kitchen area, gathering cups as she went. “Wait until the tea is ready dear, go ahead and find a seat.”

I looked at Sasuke and noticed that he was already heading to a table. I quickly followed after him and took a seat beside him. Chichi was a kind woman, but she always seemed to know more than she let on.

Kind of ironic given my predicament.

“Aiko,” Sasuke started, gaining my attention. “What were you thinking about while we were training? You looked really scared.” His voice came out quiet, small.

I bit my bottom lip. I hated when this happened because it always ended with me lying. I wish I didn't have as many screw ups as I did but when you have nothing to do and your mind wanders... it just happens. More often than not I could be found just staring into space intensely. Sasuke was the one who noticed it first, while Itachi was second. I was even more careful about it around dad and mom, but Sasuke was the one who'd seen me do it the most.

“I was just remembering something.” I said, smiling to try and sway his worry away. “Just a nightmare I had, nothing to worry about.”

“...Again?” Sasuke asked, frowning. I often used dreams and nightmares as an excuse. It was easier that way. “Was it bad?”

I felt a lump form in my throat.

Was it _bad_?

 _Our parents were dead and our older brother killed them_ , I thought, swallowing hard, _it was worse than just bad._

A cup was place in front of me, and I jerked in surprise, nearly bumping the table.

“Goodness dear you've gone white. Are you feeling alright?” Chichi asked as she placed the other two cups down and set the tray she used to carry them aside. She lifted a hand to my forehead. “You don't have a fever...”

“I'm fine, Chichi.” I said, smiling up at her as she took a seat across from us, still eying me.

“Well, I wont pry, but do take care of yourself.” Chichi said, and looked at Sasuke. “Be sure she gets plenty of rest.”

“Of course, Chichi.” Sasuke said, nodding.

“Good, now onto other matters. How is your training going?” Chichi asked, lifting her cup to take a sip.

I glanced down at my handle-less brown cup, its murky green contents gave off a very faint trail of steam.

That was another thing that threw me off in this world. I'd never used cups without a handle, besides disposable and Styrofoam cups, and the thought of owning any in my previous life never crossed my mind. Why inflict pain on your own hands from touching the cup directly? Surprisingly though, it didn't really hurt as I’d expected the first time I drank from one.

I picked up my own cup and took a careful sip as Sasuke went into detail about our latest training breakthroughs. We'd only really starting training the past year, and that was because we were going to the academy soon. Prior to that it was all verbal lessons and minor exercises. I still had a few rubber kunai in my room along with some notes.

“Dad isn't home often but when he is he trains us with Itachi.” Sasuke said. “He's a strict teacher, but...” He trailed off. I frowned sympathetically.

 _He's a strict teacher but when we train, his attention is always on Itachi,_ I thought, finishing the statement mentally.

Realizing the silence was going a bit too long, I broke in. “But since he isn't around often, we miss out on training with him enough to benefit from it.” I said.

“Fugaku is the clan head.” Chichi said somberly. “He is often busy with clan matters... it's a shame. Itachi is a fine young man however. I'm sure he would be willing to pass on whatever Fugaku teaches him.”

I nodded. “He does.”

“I'm glad.” Chichi smiled. “I understand you two will be attending the academy this week? Are you excited?”

“Of course!” Sasuke said enthusiastically. “I'm going to be the top of my class!”

I was quiet as he spoke. Attending the academy was a given. I was a daughter of the clan head, there was no way I _wouldn't_ be trained to be a shinobi. I was eager to learn, yes, but I was also nervous. Graduating meant going on missions, and going on missions meant potential death.

_I didn't want to visit the void again. At least not so soon._

“And you, Aiko?” Chichi asked, reigning my attention back to the conversation.

“Nervous, but eager.” I said simply. Chichi nodded sagely as if expecting such an answer

“Do either of you have any goals? Plans for the future?” Chichi asked. My expression went blank. Was this one of those 'future plans' sessions?

“I want to be a jōnin.” Sasuke said, cocking his head to the side thoughtfully. “Or anbu.”

“I guess jōnin for me too.” I said lazily. _If I live that long_ , went unsaid. I took another sip of my tea.

“I see. You two are on the straight and narrow aren’t you? Well I guess that's fine for now.” Chichi said and chuckled lightly. I raised an eyebrow but nonetheless didn't comment. “Well I think that's enough of this old woman taking up your time, I'll get your dango so you two can go home.” Chichi said, standing and heading back into the shop.

“What should we do until Itachi gets home?” Sasuke asked as he finished drinking the rest of his tea. I shrugged.

“Study?” I suggested. “I want to work on chakra control.”

Chakra control wasn't the most fun form of training, but it was beneficial, if a bit tiring. I couldn't pull off tree walking or water walking yet given my low chakra supply, but I could do them within a few years.

Not to say that using chakra wasn't fun, it was almost magical, but it was still tiring.

“Chakra control...” Sasuke's voice trailed off as his expression turned intense as he thought.

“I already passed the leaf exercise.” I noted. Mom had helped me with that one, now I wanted to try to repel rather than stick, like how shinobi managed to spring every which-a-way like grasshoppers.

“That ones easy.” Sasuke said, smirking. I rolled my eyes as I finished drinking the rest of my tea.

“You could practice your taijutsu till Itachi gets home, maybe he'll spar with you.” I suggested, putting our empty cups to the side. “Or you could practice chakra control with me.”

Sasuke seemed to perk up at the suggestions, just as Chichi returned with our dango.

“Be sure to give Mikoto and Itachi my regards.” Chichi said, smiling as we stood up. “I put in a little extra.” She added in an amused whisper.

“Thank you Chichi.” I said, taking the brown paper bag from her. “Itachi loves your dango.”

“Itachi loves _everyone's_ dango...” Sasuke murmured, and I gently elbowed him in the side. “... But he loves yours the best, Chichi.” _Ah much better._

Chichi waved us off and we started back to our own home. Sasuke reached into my arms and pulled out a stick of dango, popping it in his mouth. I guess he couldn't wait till we were home.

“How come you're nervous about going to the academy?” Sasuke suddenly asked, his voice slightly muffled with his mouth full, and I glanced sideways at him. He was looking at me expectantly as we walked.

“I don't think...” I trailed off, my voice coming out small and tentative. How could I put it without sounding overly pessimistic? “I'm just worried is all.” I said, shaking my head. “I'm not very strong... and I don't know if I'll be able to make friends.” I said. I was an oddball after all, considering I wasn't a ' _normal'_ kid.

“You'll do fine.” Sasuke immediately said, and I blinked, taken aback by his confident tone. “You're an Uchiha. We're prepared. And you can hang out with me if no one else is being nice.” He puffed up his cheeks, as if the thought of anyone not liking me was an insult.

I held back a snort, but smiled. If things still went the same, he would end up with a pack of fangirls eagerly stalking him. Maybe they would try to befriend me to get to him.

“Thanks.” I said after shoving my amusement aside.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I'm doing alright so far. I have a habit where I reread chapters over and over before finally deciding that they're done and good enough to share.  
> On another note, I like reading suggestions and requests for scenes and the like. If anyone has anything of the sort, feel free to share! I might just like it enough to include it in the fic if possible.  
> Predictions for the future are also welcome.


	3. Chapter 3

As I watched Itachi eat his share of dango, I idly wondered if dentists were in high demand in this world. Shisui sat beside him, having decided to visit. Sasuke was in the yard, practicing his shuriken throwing. Mom was in the kitchen preparing dinner. Dad was probably going to either be late or just in time to eat with us.

Itachi was quiet as he ate and Shisui snagged a stick of dango for himself. Mom had been generous enough to allow them to eat dango before dinner, much to my surprise. Then again, maybe she was just happy that we were all together and that Itachi wasn't off on a mission. The older boy turned his attention to me across the table and smiled. “Aiko, you're starting at the academy with Sasuke soon right?” Shisui asked.

Shisui was... I wasn't sure what to make of him at first. He was like that neighborhood kid that became friends with the whole family and was like a second big brother. I liked him. He felt reliable, trustworthy, and was warm and patient. I could see why Itachi liked spending time with him.

My thoughts shifted to him, eye-less and throwing himself off a cliff into the Naka River. I flinched at the memory, feeling myself go cold.

If I could prevent just _one_ death... I think I'd like to save Shisui.

He deserved better.

I took a deep, controlled breath before speaking. “In three days.” I clarified.

Three days until my journey to genin-hood began.

And roughly three years until everything goes to hell. A frown tugged at the corners of my mouth.

“Are you nervous?” Shisui asked. I looked up to meet his gaze. He was leaning on the table and looking at me expectantly. Itachi's eyes shifted to me as well and I suddenly felt cornered. At least their eyes weren’t red.

“Yea.” I said, nodding. Shisui's eyebrows rose.

“Really? What about?” Shisui asked, and I frowned, biting my lip. My hands went to the hem of my shirt and fiddled with the cloth.

“I don't know if I'll be good enough.” I admitted quietly. “Sasuke will go a lot farther than me.”

I wasn't aiming to be the best, but I was still worried that I wouldn't be able to become strong enough to do anything at all. The fear of potentially not being able to save anyone, of not being able to protect my family... it almost made me feel sick.

Of course, strength wasn't the _only_ way to change things, but I wasn't an overly persuasive person either. I wasn't an elaborate scheming planner. I was no prodigy and I wasn't exceptional in my past life either. I was average. Dad, the clan head, probably wouldn't expect anything but the best when it came to my performance... If I wanted to endure and face what was coming, I needed to live up to those expectations, if only for myself.

Shisui frowned at my answer and I looked away guiltily. “You shouldn't compare yourself to others, Aiko. I'm sure you'll do fine. Maybe you'll be good at something no one else is good at, right Itachi?” Shisui said. I looked up, catching him glancing at my older brother who seemed to be contemplating something as he eyed me.

“Aiko,” Itachi started, catching my attention. “What skills do you want to excel in?”

I turned the question over a few times in my mind. Trapping was something I was interested in, but I wanted to at least learn a few decent ninjutsu. Shurikenjutsu and taijutsu would be good too.

“Trapping... taijutsu and ninjutsu. I want to learn how to be stealthy... how to hide...” I said slowly, trailing off. My thoughts drifted over all of this worlds threats. God what I wouldn't give to be able to go unnoticed. “Chakra suppressing, ninja wire, caltrops. Maybe combining some tools...” I knew there was an Uchiha-specialty type of ninja wire that was flammable. I planned to get as much of that as I could in the future.

“Clever.” Shisui mused. “Most kids just want to learn whatever will inflict the most damage. They usually don't think about stealth or running away.”

Itachi nodded in agreement. “I can help you train to be more stealthy, Aiko.” He said, and paused before adding. “Do you plan to join anbu in the future?” He asked. I blinked, recalling Chichi's question about future plans. Was anbu really _that_ popular of a career? Weren’t they really selective?

“Not really.” I murmured. I rubbed my arm awkwardly. This was my past life all over again in regards to what I wanted to be when I grew up. My only real goal this time was 'survive till 20' but that reason probably wouldn't blow over well. “Why?”

“I think that you would do well in anbu.” Itachi said. “You are smart for your age, I think you're capable of doing just as well as Sasuke. Should you join anbu, you would receive more intensive training in stealth.” He paused, as if thinking over something before adding. “Of course, it's only a suggestion.”

I guess joining anbu _would_ allow me to work in the shadows a lot easier than normal and train in what areas I wanted, but it was still a bit much to consider. I was only five, after all. “I don't even know how to be recruited...” I started. “If I'm even ever going to be _considered_ for recruitment. And... I think I should just focus on making genin first. I'll keep your suggestion in mind though.”

“One step at a time huh?” Shisui said. “Well, if you ever need another training partner, I can help.”

“Thank you.” I murmured. _Shisui of the body flicker_... I wonder, would he teach me that? Was the technique chakra-intensive? I glanced back at the dango to find majority of it was already gone. “Is it hard being a genin?” I asked idly, looking back at the two boys. I knew it was a stupid question, but I decided to ask it anyway. Perhaps my nerves were getting to me. I wasn't even in the academy yet, after all.

“Well, it's not easy.” Shisui started, leaning back. “But you'll probably be doing a bunch of D-ranks for a while before you do anything dangerous once you actually graduate.”

“Being a shinobi is difficult.” Itachi chimed in, his eyes on the tabletop as he spoke. “You will get hurt and you will hurt others. It won't always be easy nor will it always be hard.”

 _The world isn't so black and white_. I frowned at the thought. Whoever considered it a good idea to train a bunch of kids to be killers was stupid. Or maybe desperate. Itachi already awakened his sharingan too, which meant one of his teammates died, right? I couldn't quite recall the trigger for it.

“I'll get used to it.” I murmured, and glanced at the side doors, out into the yard where Sasuke was hurling shurikun at a log. He was focused but a smile was on his face. “You're not going to help Sasuke train?” I asked, looking back at Itachi.

“He doesn’t know I'm home yet.” Itachi said, finishing up the last stick of dango as he smiled. I withheld a snort.

“Going to surprise him?” I asked, smirking. Itachi raised an eyebrow but remained quiet.

As if having sensed that he was being talked about, Sasuke started walking back towards the house, the moment he got close his eyes snapped to Itachi. “When did you get home?!” He asked, his childish voice high pitched and loud, then frowned, puffing up his cheeks. “You should of told me!”

“I didn't wish to interrupt your training, Sasuke.” Itachi said, smiling lightly. “You were doing well.”

Sasuke's eyes widened. “Really?” He asked, beaming from the praise and completely forgetting Itachi's previous offense. Itachi nodded while Sasuke moved to take a seat beside me. After a moment, mom showed up with a tray of tea cups that she sat in front of each of us.

“Here's some tea for you all.” She said, smiling. “Your father should be home soon.” She added, glancing from me and Sasuke to Itachi with a nod.

“Thanks.” I chirped, taking my cup of tea and sipping it experimentally. Good, not too hot.

She gathered up the dango sticks and withdrew back to the kitchen, leaving us alone again. Sasuke glanced around the table at all of us, seemingly wondering who was going to speak up first. When no one did, he took the initiative.

“Itachi, you awakened your sharingan, right?” Sasuke asked. His eyes were glued to our older brother with a look of admiration and curiosity that made even me smile. Itachi nodded in response.

“I have.” Itachi said. “Do you have questions?” He asked, taking a sip of his tea.

“Who do you think will awaken their sharingan first?” Sasuke asked, gesturing with his head towards me. “Me or Aiko?”

Itachi raised an eyebrow and glanced at me while Shisui chuckled to himself before speaking.

“It's not a race.” Shisui said. “Just a matter of time.” He picked up his tea cup and took a generous sip.

“But who do you think will awaken their sharingan _first_?” Sasuke repeated, pouting from having to ask a second time. I had to cover my mouth to avoid laughing at his eagerness to get an answer. Itachi on the other hand looked conflicted as he looked between us, obviously not wanting to play favorites.

“I said Sasuke would.” I decided to chime in. “He thinks I will.”

Shisui snorted but remained quiet as he eyed Itachi, waiting to see what his best friends response would be.

“...Maybe you'll both awaken your sharingan at the same time.” Itachi said. “You are twins after all.” He took another sip of his tea. If I didn't know any better I'd say he was drinking it to avoid having to talk more. I rolled my eyes and smiled.

 _Smooth_ , I thought, and looked at Sasuke who deflated but was apparently satisfied with the answer. “Maybe...” Sasuke murmured, before looking back up at our older brother. “Hey, can you activate yours?”

I blinked at his sudden request, and shifted my gaze back to Itachi and Shisui curiously while taking a careful sip of tea. Both boys looked taken aback by the request.

“Why?” Itachi asked. “You've seen the sharingan before.”

“It's not like it changes colors or anything.” Shisui added. “Just gains tomoe.”

“Tomoe?” I asked. That sounded kind of familiar. “Those are the things that spin around the middle, right?”

“Right.” Shisui affirmed. “When there's three, that means it's a fully matured sharingan.”

I furrowed my brows and bit my lip in thought. Did a sharingan have to be fully matured before it could evolve into the mangekyō sharingan? I couldn't really _ask_ since I shouldn't know about the mangekyō yet.

Maybe I could keep track of time by the number of tomoe Itachi has?

“I wanna see too.” I said, nodding to myself slightly, siding with Sasuke and ganging up on Itachi. “Pleaseeee?” I said. Sasuke picked up the pleading and we were both staring at Itachi with puppy dog eyes. Our older brother glanced between us, before letting out a deep sigh and closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they were vibrant sharingan-red.

I rounded the table with Sasuke and we both sat on either side of him and stared at his face. Immediately I could spot three tomoe. They weren’t spinning though, just kind of _there_. Once I confirmed that, I couldn't help but feel my skin crawl. His sharingan was already fully matured? _He mastered it_ _ **already**_ _?_

I had enough and promptly returned to my seat, feeling slightly ill, while Sasuke remained beside Itachi. The sharingan still creeped me out, it was so _piercing_. I felt like he could see through all my lies– through _me_. It was different from someone wearing colored contacts or cosmetics, oddly _alien_. As I situated myself back into a comfortable position, I avoided meeting Itachi's gaze, looking instead at my tea cup.

“You have three tomoe!” Sasuke said in awe, his sudden loudness making me flinch.

“He does.” Shisui murmured. I couldn't help but notice how his voice carried towards me–as if he were facing me–and I looked up through my lashes. Both Itachi _and_ Shisui were eying me with unreadable expressions. As soon as I met Itachi's gaze, his sharingan faded back to onyx.

Sasuke begun to chirp about how great the sharingan was and how he would awaken his first as he gripped Itachi's sleeve, but his voice grew to be background noise to my own thoughts as I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat and took a sip of tea. Itachi had turned his attention to Sasuke while Shisui still watched me carefully. After a few more painfully long moments, he looked away.

“Sasuke, don't you think you should pace yourself a bit more?” Shisui said. Sasuke turned his eyes onto the older Uchiha and pouted.

“But I want to be strong like Itachi!” Sasuke said. “Itachi trains a lot. If I train a lot than I can be just as good!”

“Shisui does have a point, Sasuke.” Itachi said, raising a hand to poke Sasuke on the forehead, causing the young boy to sputter in place and cover his forehead with a hand, face flushing in embarrassment. “You don't have to copy my habits to attain success.”

“And you don't need the sharingan to be successful.” Shisui added. My gaze turned towards him to see that he was faintly smiling at me. I quickly looked away. Shisui was rather keen in picking up on emotional discrepancies. I had no doubt that my previous actions set off red flags. Sasuke retreated back around the table to sit beside me again.

“Your sister's really bashful Itachi.” Shisui said playfully. I bit my lip, feeling my face grow warm in embarrassment from the attention.

“Hey, quit picking on us.” Sasuke mumbled as he sat back down beside me, a hand still covering his forehead as he glared at Itachi with a frown.

“Sorry.” Shisui said, his smile widening. “It's too bad one of you isn't my sibling. Itachi got lucky, getting two.” The older Uchiha looked to Itachi with a pout. Itachi stared back, his expression unamused. I couldn't help but smile at the exchange.

“Well, you're practically our second brother anyway.” I said, shrugging. He _was_ technically family to begin with, being an Uchiha and all. It was the fact that he was so close with Itachi and us that made him feel more like immediate family than a cousin. “I like you.”

“Oh?” Shisui mused. “Looks like I'm your competition, Itachi.”

“Itachi's cooler...” Sasuke said, and I blinked, turning my attention to him. He was no longer shielding his forehead, and instead was holding his cup of tea while looking between the two older boys.

Was he... was he trying to one-up me?

“Shisui's cool too.” I murmured, brows knitting together in confusion.

“Really?” Shisui asked, and I turned my gaze to him. He was leaning on the table, looking highly amused.

“Yea but Itachi is better by default cause he's our older brother.” I said, glancing at Itachi just in time to catch the corner of his lip twitch up.

“Looks like you win the best big brother award, Itachi.” Shisui said, smiling. “I never stood a chance.”

I watched as Itachi sipped his tea, a smug smile on his face. I giggled at the sight. The thought of him with a 'best big-brother' trophy was priceless.

As the sound of my giggles grew, all eyes turned to me.

“What did you do?” Shisui asked Itachi, raising an eyebrow.

“... Nothing.” Itachi said, still smiling as he looked back at me. After a few more seconds I managed to contain my giggles, but my broad smile still stretched across my face.

“Sorry.” I said, grinning to myself and biting my lip.

“What was so funny?” Sasuke asked, and I _nearly_ started laughing again.

“His face.” I said, pointing to Itachi.

The silence that followed was broken by a snort from Shisui. The sound promptly made me release a small giggle.

Of all the things to carry over from my past life, I did not expect my affinity for giggling at everything and anything to follow.

“Why does his face make you laugh?” Shisui asked, and I looked to him to find him biting back a fit of laughter. “You see it every day.”

“It's cause of his smile.” I said. Itachi raised an eyebrow. “...It's not a bad smile!” I quickly added. “...but it makes me laugh. I like his smile the best.”

“Best big brother _and_ best smile? I'm calling you out Itachi, you're cheating.” Shisui said jokingly as laughter broke out across the table. Sasuke was practically trembling beside me.

I hope I didn't put Itachi on the spot too much. I really _did_ like his smile. I couldn't help that it made me want to laugh on occasion.

When he smiled, it felt like nothing could possibly go wrong.

_Itachi? Kind and gentle Itachi? My older brother, responsible for massacring our clan?_

The thought echoed in my mind once more as I watched Itachi sigh and glance at Shisui. “At least she laughed.” Itachi said.

 _Preposterous_.

The sound of movement in the front hall had us all pause and grow quiet. My eyes were locked on the hall, and I spotted dad rounding the corner, heading in our direction.

Everyone shifted into a more proper posture as if on reflex. I glanced at Sasuke who was finally drinking his tea, which was most likely lukewarm at best by this point.

As dad entered the room, he looked over all of us before taking a seat at the end of the table with Shisui to his left and Sasuke to his right. His face was indifferent but his eyes held the familiar sternness I grew accustomed to over the years.

“Shisui, I didn't know that you would be visiting.” Dad started, breaking the silence that had fallen over our group.

“It wasn't planned.” Shisui started. “I wanted to spend time with Itachi and his siblings.” He said, smiling and bowing his head slightly. “I hope I'm not imposing.”

“No, you're not.” Dad said, returning the smile with one of his own. Mom appeared, setting a tea cup down for him, briefly welcoming him home, and retreating. “You are always welcome here, Shisui.”

“Thank you for the hospitality.” Shisui said, smiling lightly.

“Dad,” I started, gaining his attention. “Will you be there for the opening ceremony at the academy?” I asked curiously.

“Hmm...” He frowned as he thought it over. “I don't believe I'll be able to attend. I have a meeting with the police force.” He said, and rolled his shoulders before picking up his tea cup.

“So you wont be there?” Sasuke said, frowning with disappointment.

“If something changes, I'll attend.” Dad said. “I doubt that I'll be able to, though. I'm sure your mother will be there.”

I nodded but didn't say anything. I kind of expected that he would be too busy. I turned my gaze up to look across the table at Itachi and Shisui.

Shisui looked troubled but nevertheless remained quiet. Itachi was looking at Sasuke, before his gaze shifted to me, catching my eye.

“I'll attend.” Itachi said. I felt Sasuke shift beside me, perking up.

“Really?” Sasuke asked with hope in his eyes. Itachi nodded.

I smiled lightly at the exchange. Dad didn't protest, but I could see him smiling behind his cup of tea as he took a sip. He _was_ a good father, just a busy one, sadly.

“We'll be able to start training with the fire release, great fireball technique within a few months.” He paused, looking to me and Sasuke before continuing. “I hope you two will be prepared. It is tradition among the Uchiha to learn this jutsu.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was oddly difficult to write and when I went back to reread and revise it, I kept changing things. I was finally satisfied with it enough to share so hopefully you all enjoyed it.  
> I had a lot more fun writing the next chapter which should be posted soon after I give it a few rereads. I think you all will enjoy it, or at least I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did writing it.


	4. Chapter 4

The faint sound of thunder rumbling overhead, signaling a summer storm, was enough to make me want to go back to bed. Maybe it would rain... rain was oddly rare in Konoha. Probably had something to do with being the land of fire.

It made me miss the frequent rain showers in my past life.

“There.” Mom said, leaning back and smiling down at me. “All done.”

She picked a hand mirror up that was setting beside me on my bed and handed it to me. I carefully took it and looked at myself. My shoulder length blue-tinted black hair was brushed and hung straight down without any waves or curls. My bangs were long and framed my face, much like Sasukes. A dark blue satin ribbon was tied at the top of my head.

The longer I stared, the more distraught I felt. This skin was too pale, my hair wasn't the right color, and my body was too small. _Who is she?_

_Oh yea... this is me._

No wonder I stopped looking in mirrors.

“...You don't like it?” Mom asked quietly. I ripped my gaze away from the mirror, setting it aside, to see her looking dejected. I immediately felt guilty and shook my head. It wasn't her fault I was like this.

“No, I love it!” I said, forcing on a broad smile. The tension in moms face drained and she let out a sigh of relief. She moved across the room to gather up my pack for the academy and ushered me out and towards the kitchen.

Sasuke was already seated at the table with Itachi. The moment I saw Sasuke, I blinked. We were both wearing the same outfit, save for my ribbon. Black high collared short sleeved shirt with the Uchiha crest on the back and light gray shorts.

Was... was our mom the type who dressed twins the same? I never noticed before now. Was it because we were going to the academy?

I took a seat beside Sasuke, across from Itachi who was nursing a cup of tea, his own bowl already empty. He must have gotten to the table before us. I couldn't help but wonder, how long it had taken mom to work on my hair? Then again... Itachi was an early riser.

Once I was seated, I begun to swing my feet back and forth out of habit. mom moved towards the sink, washing up the rest of the dishes. She begun to hum lightly, the sound oddly soothing when paired with the rumbling thunder.

“The ribbon looks good on you, Aiko.” Itachi said, drawing my attention to him. I smiled at the compliment and nodded.

“I like it.” I said simply, but my words somehow felt hollow. I turned my attention to my own food and picked up my chopsticks. “I'm going to grow my hair out longer and get more ribbons.”

 _Because in my past life, my hair was nearly waist length,_ I thought somberly. Maybe I was just being silly, trying to find some semblance of my old body in this one.

“Do you have any colors in mind?” Itachi asked. I took a bite of my food and thought over my answer. Green had looked good on me in my past life, but with how I looked now, it wouldn't really work well...

“...Red.” I said after a moment, nodding. “A red ribbon.”

When I got no reply, I looked up to find Itachi eying me curiously. I blinked back at him. “What is it? Did I say something wrong?”

“...No, it's just that I thought red would be your least favorite color.” Itachi said after a short pause. I frowned, brows knitting together in thought as I looked at him. His expression was withdrawn, almost sad. Why did he– _oh_.

It probably didn't help that I avoided meeting his eyes when his sharingan was active. Maybe he thought I didn't like red at all because of that?

“...I like red.” I said quietly, looking down.

“You know, if you didn't have the bow, you could probably pass as a boy.” Sasuke mused beside me, completely shattering the atmosphere.

“... Does that mean if you wore a bow, you could pass as a girl?” I shot back. Sasuke frowned, puffing up his cheeks.

“No way!” Sasuke said. “Besides, I said _probably._ You still have a girly face.” He grumbled.

“Why thank you.” I said merrily, smirking. Sasuke paused, brows furrowed together in confusion before realization dawned on him and he flushed.

“Eat up, you two, we'll be heading out shortly. Luckily it hasn’t started raining yet, but we should take umbrella's just in case.” Mom interrupted before Sasuke could retaliate, drying her hands as she took a seat at the table with us, a content smile on her face. “You both look so cute...” She said, more so to herself than to us as she smiled.

I flushed from the attention and returned my focus back to my food.

Another rumble of thunder sounded and I couldn't help but frown as I finished up the rest of my rice and set the empty bowl aside. Had it stormed during Sasukes first day at the academy...? Perhaps I was just over-thinking. It wasn't like rain would be a giant game-changer.

Rain _. Ame. **Nagato**. _

As soon as those thoughts crossed my mind, I shook my head. _Nope_ , not going to deal with that yet. Uchiha come first. It's the most immediate threat.

“I'll get the umbrellas.” Itachi said, rising from the table and moving towards the entrance hall. I looked at Sasuke to find that he already finished up with his breakfast as well and was rummaging through his pack. I could just make our pencils, scrolls and notebooks. Better to be prepared for anything than not, I guess. Even if it _is_ the first day.

After mom gathered up our dishes, we vacated the table and moved to the front hall, slipping on our black sandals.

As we stepped outside, I was surprised to find that it had yet to start raining, even a little bit, given how gray the sky was. I gravitated towards Itachi, reaching out and grabbing his free left hand that wasn't holding the unopened umbrella. His hand dwarfed mine, yet another reminder today that I was no longer in an adult body.

He glanced down at me and I smiled back. His expression at the kitchen table hung at the forefront of my minds eye. I squeezed his hand just as Sasuke rounded him to his right, looking up at him expectantly.

“I can hold the umbrellas, Itachi.” Mom said, laughing lightly to herself at the sight of us. “I would hate for an umbrella to come between you and your brother.”

“Thank you.” Itachi said, and smiled as he handed off the umbrella to mom and took Sasuke's hand. We started off in the direction of the academy at a steady pace. Most of the silence was filled by Sasuke, asking questions and the like about what we would be studying. His curiosity and eagerness were amusing to see, and even a little infectious.

We'd passed by the academy before on numerous occasions. It was a large building at the base of Hokage Mountain. Besides being the academy, where shinobi were trained, it was also the same place shinobi went to receive their missions. The Hokages office was on the upper floor as well. It kind of made sense, in a defensive sort of way, that the children would be kept closest to those trained to protect them. Not to mention that evacuation shelters were practically right behind them in the mountain.

 _The children are the future after all,_ I thought idly.

As we approached the entrance, a man with shoulder length white hair and green eyes stood off to the side, looking indifferent and oddly out of place had it not been for his flak jacket and headband. As soon as he saw us, a smile popped onto his face as if on reflex.

“Ah, new students right?” He asked, glancing down at me and Sasuke. “The opening ceremony will be held indoors, in the first training hall.”

Mom nodded, shifting the umbrella's in her arms. “Thank you...?” She trailed off, not knowing how to address the man.

“Mizuki. I'm one of the academy instructors.” Mizuki said, smiling. “You should hurry in before it starts to rain. Wouldn't want the new students getting sick during their first week.”

I couldn't help but stare at Mizuki as I was pulled along by Itachi. Why did he seem familiar? Was I already forgetting details? The thought made me bite my lip in agitation. _I couldn't afford slip ups in memory._

As I racked my brain trying to remember a 'Mizuki', we arrived at the training hall. It was a room with a high ceiling, white walls and shiny hardwood flooring. It kind of reminded me of my high school gymnasium in my past life, but more dojo-esq.

Majority of the new students seemed to already be present, sitting around the center of the room, chatting amongst themselves or waiting patiently for the ceremony to start. Out of the bunch, I could already spot a few of the rookie nine– Shikamaru was sitting cross-legged on the floor, leaning on one of his hands as he slouched over, looking as bored as he probably felt. Chōji sat beside him, munching on a bag of chips. The swirl markings on his cheeks made him look surprisingly cute, especially as a kid.

I could just make out Ino among a group of girls... or at least a girl who _looked_ like Ino. Amongst them was one easily-recognizable pinkette sitting off to the side and looking rather shy as she fiddled with her nails nervously. Sakura? It had to be Sakura.

A few of the girls gazes turned up and met mine and I noticed their eyes shift to Sasuke and a blush formed on their cheeks as they eagerly leaned in close to whisper to each other.

 _Oh no, already?_ I thought, sighing and feeling my shoulders slouch.

“Alright you two, go have a seat. I'll be standing in the back with Itachi if you need me.” Mom said. Itachi released our hands after giving them a light squeeze and followed after her. I watched them move to stand by other parents and families. I didn't get long to look for familiar faces among the adults though, because Sasuke grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards the other new students. I looked to see that he was pulling us towards Shikamaru and Chōji. Was he already acquainted with them? Or... could it be that he was just avoiding sitting anywhere near the gaggle of girls that kept casting him curious glances?

I bit my lip and contained a snort that threatened to escape.

As we sat down on the polished hardwood floor across from Shikamaru and Chōji, I suddenly felt nervous. I was never good with first impressions or making friends in my past life. I was shy and quiet, even as an adult.

Chōji paused in his chip-eating to blink at us curiously. Not wanting the awkward silence to stretch on too long, I raised a hand tentatively and waved at him. “Hi.” I murmured.

“Hi.” Chōji parroted back. “...You're new students too?”

“Considering we're sitting here with you, isn't it obvious?” Sasuke said, rolling his eyes. I frowned and elbowed him gently. He cast me a glare and raised a hand to rub his arm. “Yea, we're new students too.”

“Are you guys twins?” Shikamaru drawled. I glanced at him to see him eying the bow on my head. ' _A girl? What a drag'_ I could practically hear him say in my mind.

“Yea.” I affirmed, nodding. “I'm Aiko Uchiha.” I added, introducing myself and smiling.

“Shikamaru Nara.” Shikamaru said, confirming my guess as to his identity. His pineapple hairstyle _was_ rather distinctive. Did he ever wear his hair down?

“Sasuke Uchiha.” Sasuke said, nodding. I noticed his gaze travel over the two boys, as if gauging whether or not they were very skilled or worth taking an interest in.

“Chōji Akimichi.” Chōji added tentatively. “...Do either of you want a chip?” He offered, extending the bag towards us. From what I could see, it was a rather generic flavor, nothing outrageously adventurous.

I raised a hand and withdrew a chip, nodding. “Thank you, Chōji. You're very generous.” I said, popping the chip into my mouth. It's salty flavor made me suddenly think of Lays. What a throwback. Chōji flushed lightly at the compliment but smiled.

Sasuke shook his head. “No thanks.” He said, and glanced at me as Chōji withdrew his chip bag back to resume eating. “You know, you shouldn't accept food from strangers, Aiko.”

 _But Sasuke, Chōji's not a stranger cause I know his character from my past life because this world was fictional_ , I thought mockingly, and bit my lip. “Sorry.” I said instead, smiling apologetically.

“It's not like they're poisoned or something.” Shikamaru said lazily, shrugging. “So you guys are Uchiha. Lots of clan kids this time around. What a drag.” He said, looking past us and towards the entrance to the room. I glanced over my shoulder, spotting a small girl with short dark blue hime-cut hair and pupil-less pale eyes. Hinata? Judging by her appearance and the two adults flanking her, it probably was.

Using this chance, I surveyed the rest of the room. My head twisted around and I could just make out a few other Uchiha crests among the children. There were other Uchiha kids? I had no idea... It seemed as if there were quite a few other clan kids, judging by the crests plastered over various clothes. I guess it was kind of foolish of me to think the rookie nine were the _only_ kids from the major clans. It kind of also made sense that there would be more kids from shinobi families rather than civilian ones like Sakura.

Another rumble of thunder sounded and I could just make out the light tapping of rain beginning to fall on the roof.

Off to the side, sitting by himself, was a boy with a high collared tan jacket and wearing black shades. _Shino_? My gaze turned from him back to the crowd of children. _Where was Kiba?_

The room was growing more crowded and I struggled to see past all the heads in my game of spot-the-nine. Inevitably, I gave up. I turned my attention instead back to Sasuke. “I didn't know there were so many other Uchiha kids.” I murmured.

“Not like it matters.” Sasuke mumbled back, shrugging.

“Alright now, quiet down, the opening ceremony will begin!” Called a voice over the crowd. I glanced up, spotting none other than Iruka at the front of the room, a number of other sensei stood off to the side. The Third Hokage stood right beside him, arms crossed behind his back as he looked over us all. Even from my seat on the floor, I could sense his imposing presence.

This was the _Hokage_.

... _If I could tip off the Hokage about the Uchiha massacre_... no, Danzō might catch wind of me that way, I'd need to be discreet if I got involved with the Hokage. Wasn't Shisui in anbu? Could I tell him? Maybe I could find a way to speak to the Hokage alone, since we're in the same building...

As my thoughts raced over the future, I only vaguely caught any of the Hokage's speech, mostly about the will of fire and what they strive to teach within the academy. By the end of it, my palms felt sweaty and my body was tense. My stomach churned from my anxiety.

 _Why does time move so quickly as a child?_ I thought to myself, biting my lip in frustration. It didn't help that for the first three years I was still learning the language.

 _Time wasted,_ I thought pessimistically.

“We will now call out names for class placement.” Iruka started. “When your name is called, please stand and make your way forward.” He stepped aside as one of the other sensei begun to call out the names of students who would be in their class.

I shoved my turbulent thoughts aside and took a deep breath to calm myself. I wasn't about to embarrass myself by not noticing when my name was called.

“Are you alright, Aiko?” Sasuke asked quietly, and I glanced sideways at him to find him looking at me, brows furrowed together with worry. Even Shikamaru and Chōji were giving me odd looks.

“I'm okay, Sasuke.” I said, nodding.

As names were called, the room became more and more empty. Parents and adults that had come to watch the opening ceremony were already shuffling out and leaving. I spotted Itachi exiting and waved, earning a wave in return before he disappeared around the corner with mom. The Hokage stood off to the side, watching as students left with their new sensei, a look of assessment in his eyes. I had no doubt that he was already judging us.

“Aiko Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha...” Iruka said. I couldn't help but smile as I stood along with Sasuke and made my way towards Iruka. At least I had someone familiar in my class.

As the rest of our class's names were gradually called, I picked up a few names I didn't recognize along with a few faces. I guess not everyone graduated in canon. Maybe they were drop outs?

I cast a glance towards the Third Hokage and noticed that he was looking over the room, as if for someone specific. I raised an eyebrow. _Who could he be–_

“Naruto Uzumaki.” Iruka called, and my eyes snapped away from the Hokage, looking around for the blond kid who I somehow forgot about. How could I forget _Naruto_?

None of the remaining kids seated on the floor made any move at the name and none of them had spiky blond hair. I frowned slowly, eyes doing a double take. Where was he?

_Don't tell me my existence somehow caused Naruto to–_

“Here!” Shouted a child’s voice. A small boy barreled through the door leading into the room, nearly slipping from the water that dripped off of him before he managed to upright himself. As all eyes turned on him, he froze, suddenly looking disheartened as his gaze turned downcast.

“Naruto...” The Hokage started, running a hand over his eyes as he sighed. “You're late.”

“...Not _that_ late.” Naruto mumbled quietly as he stepped forward after Iruka called for him once more, ruffling water out of his hair as he went, causing other sensei to scowl. My eyes trailed after the blond as he joined up with our classes group, standing slightly off to the side. Naruto was patting down his clothes and squeezing rain from his hair. Did he not have an umbrella? And why couldn't he wait till he was in the bathroom? _Someone will have to mop up all that water,_ I thought, frowning.

As Iruka finished calling the rest of our class, we were lead out of the training hall and towards one of the many classrooms. As we entered, I couldn't help but think that it resembled a college classroom, if a bit smaller. High ceilings, elevated seating. A giant chalkboard covering the wall at the front of the room and a podium desk in front of it.

“Come on, lets grab one of the desks by the window!” Sasuke said, and grabbed my hand, pulling me after him as my eyes shot to the back of the class.

 _I like siting in the back..._ I thought, pouting.

My gaze was pulled towards the second middle row, thanks to a head of blond hair streaking past my peripheral vision, and I spotted Naruto taking a seat beside Shikamaru. Chōji sat to Shikamaru's right, with a brand new bag of chips as he talked to the two boys beside him quietly. Shikamaru was already leaning forward on his desk, probably going to sleep.

We ended up in the second row from the front and to the far right beside a window. I let Sasuke take the seat against the wall to my left as I took a seat beside him. I leaned forward onto the desk, idly looking over the classroom. The ceiling looked like it had a few... accidents from something sharp and the desks were clean of any vandalism outside of some scratches and nicks. Rain splattered against the window beside us, providing the perfect background noise for a nap. Too bad I didn't like sleeping in class, but I was sure Shikamaru would take care of that.

“U-um, excuse me.” A voice asked, and I glanced up. Hinata stood beside our desk, twining her fingers together nervously as she spoke. “M-may I sit... b-beside you?”

I blinked, glancing down at the vacant seat in question. Desks could seat three people, and there were multiple other empty spots. Why'd she wanna sit beside me?

Actually, scratch that, if anyone were to sit beside me, I'd prefer Hinata.

“...Sure.” I said hesitantly, worried that I might somehow scare her off. Her stuttering kind of reminded me of myself when I was young in my past life, if a bit more severe. “That alright, Sasuke?”

Sasuke was eying Hinata with a raised brow, probably wondering about why she was stuttering, but didn't bother commenting on it. “Do whatever you want.” He said, shrugging.

“Thank you!” Hinata chirped, blushing lightly as she bowed and pulled out her chair and took a seat with more grace than I thought was needed. Was this how clan heirs were meant to act? I must of missed the memo or something. ...Maybe it was a Hyūga thing?

As Hinata sat with perfect posture, I didn't realize I was staring until she turned towards me. “M-my name is H-hinata Hyūga. I hope we can get along.” Hinata said, nodding politely. I could tell she was trying _not_ to stutter. Probably to give the best first impression.

I suddenly felt outclassed and I had no idea why. As I fumbled over myself, I somehow managed to get my own introduction out of the way. “I'm Aiko Uchiha.” I said, and gestured with my head towards Sasuke. “He's my twin brother, Sasuke Uchiha.”

“T-twins?” Hinata murmured. “I see.”

The conversation died down after that as we withdrew pencils and notebooks, preparing for the day. The sound of girlish giggling reached my ears and I glanced towards the back middle row– the highest in the class– and spotted Ino with two other girls, eying Sasuke with smiles on their face.

 _Oh no dear brother,_ I thought, smirking. _Girl trouble at such a young age_.

I leaned towards Sasuke. “Looks like there are girls who are already talking about you.” I whispered. Sasuke shot me a look that said not to say any more on the matter as his face flushed and I couldn't help but chuckle at his expense.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember how last chapter I said I really enjoyed writing this chapter? Well I really enjoyed writing the next chapter even more, so much so that I wrote 12 pages in a day and a bunch of notes and got hit by the idea train at 3am.  
> I guess I got visited by the motivation fairy.  
> It's a fickle creature.  
> On another note, we're currently in the academy arc of the story, it should last for a few chapters with character interactions, development, and some key events taking place before we hit graduation.  
> I'll post the next chapter after I proof read it a few times.


	5. Chapter 5

I can't say I was surprised when Naruto managed to anger Iruka on the very first day of class. The blond haired boy even talked back and complained about how boring the class was. What did he expect? Action and hands on learning right away? I lazily leaned onto my desk, elbow propped up and chin resting in my hand as I watched the fiasco unfold. Naruto sure was different as a kid compared to his older self. I could see a lot of similarities though, especially when he claimed that he would become Hokage.

Naruto might have had a troubled childhood but his behavior was... well I could see why Iruka repeatedly grew frustrated with him. On one hand I felt inclined to treat him with utmost respect and kindness–and I did–but on the other, I felt as if he _really_ needed a parental scolding. I could only tolerate so much obnoxious behavior in a day, even from a kid. It seemed like Iruka felt the same way.

I'll admit though, that his pranks were rather entertaining. I just wished they didn't disrupt the class, considering I wanted to learn as much as I could, even if it was the first day.

As I listened to Iruka lecture us on the courses we would be taking and subjects we'd be learning, I spotted a piece of folded paper fly past his head. It hit the chalkboard behind him and bounced off harmlessly to the floor. Iruka stopped in his explanation, eyes immediately locking onto Naruto. The blond boy's hands were frozen in place above his desk, in a fashion that made it obvious that he had plucked something, as he stared back with wide cerulean eyes, mouth open slightly. I guess he didn't think it would go that far.

I sighed as I watched Iruka begin scolding Naruto for the seventh time. I snuck a glance at Hinata to see that she was watching the exchange with quiet interest, a smile on her face as she appeared lost in thought.

After Iruka finished, he rubbed his temples as if suffering from a headache. Given half of today’s events, I’d imagine he probably had one. Poor guy.

“That kid's an idiot.” Sasuke mused beside me.

 _Oh boy,_ I thought, smirking to myself. _That idiots going to be on your genin team, brother_.

As Iruka walked back to the front of the class, he took a deep breath before speaking. “Alright, class is over, however all of the girls must attend an additional kunoichi class. The rest of you are free to go.”

Oh, _kunoichi classes_. I scowled. I completely forgot that those were a thing.

“Ha, you have more classes.” Sasuke teased beside me and I stuck my tongue out at him as I stood.

“Just means I get more training.” I shot back, and he frowned. “Be sure to tell mom I'll be late.”

“Yea, yea...” Sasuke mumbled. “Don't become _too_ girly.”

I snorted and rolled my eyes as I moved out from behind our desk, following after Hinata. The Hyūga heiress cast a glance at Naruto as she passed and I couldn't help but smile. ...Did she pick the seat beside me because Naruto was across the isle? Cute.

Standing at our class's door was a lady who looked no more than twenty, with her dark brown hair pulled back into a bun. She wore light makeup and had a delicate smile on her face as her dark eyes scanned over each girl that moved to the front of the class. She was pretty, if I had to use a single word to describe her. She wore a pink kimono-styled dress with a floral pattern and knee high black socks and wooden sandals. The only give away to her status was her forehead protector.

As our group of girls came to a stop in front of her, she smiled, bowing slightly. “Hello, my name is Kimiko. I'll be your sensei for kunoichi class.”

This woman was _emanating_ grace, even more so than Hinata. Every move she made seemed carefully thought out and done in a way that made her appear overly delicate and feminine. For the second time today, I found myself feeling outclassed.

“If you'll follow me please.” Kimiko instructed, and begun to lead our band of girls out of the classroom and through the halls. We came to a set of double doors that lead out to a large field, my eyes immediately zeroing in on the various shades of flora and stone walkways that snaked through the area. The rain must of stopped soon after it started, because the sun was out and the skies were clear. I inhaled a deep breath. I loved the smell of rain and earth.

“Let's take this day to get to know each other.” Kimiko instructed, smiling at us as she ushered us all out into the field. “Kunoichi classes are designed to provide the best instruction on other cultures as well as provide additional training for infiltration.” She explained, and gestured out towards the field. “Today, I would like you all to gather flowers.”

“Gather flowers?” One of the girls questioned. Kimiko nodded.

“Yes. After you're satisfied with what you've collected, please bring your arrangement to me. You may also use this time to socialize.” Kimiko said, and clapped her hands together. “You may begin.”

I stared at her for a moment, slightly confused, before realizing–once again–that I was five and that they wouldn't throw us into the grinder yet.

How child friendly.

I moved towards the field, deciding to get this over with quickly so I could go home. I walked over to a patch of purple flowers and plucked out three before rising and looking around for my next target. My eyes landed on a patch of yellow buttercups and my expression went blank. _I haven't seen buttercups since my previous life,_ I thought as I made my way over and picked two to add to my collection. I stared at the glossy yellow petals, smiling to myself.

“Aikooo.” An overly cheery voice chimed. I looked towards the sound and found Ino rushing towards me, two other girls I didn't recognize trailing behind her. How'd she know my name? Did she remember it from the opening ceremony? “Oh! You found buttercups!” She said upon spotting the patch I was standing beside. Her short platinum blond hair bobbed as she leaned down, picking one for herself.

“Yea. There's plenty more if you wanted to grab some.” I said, moving to stand aside. The two girls behind her moved to retrieve their own while Ino strolled towards me, obviously not letting me retreat so easily.

“Aiko, you're Sasuke's twin sister right? What's he like?” The young Yamanaka asked, looking highly interested. Her pupil-less blue eyes were wide with curiosity. I blinked, and glanced at the other girls to see that they were waiting for my reply as well. Who were they? I think ones name was... Rika? Wow I suddenly feel like an ass. I shouldn't _just_ focus on the rookie nine.

“He's a dork.” I said. Ino blinked at me, a momentary silence blanketing us, before she erupted into laughter.

“I should of expected that kind of answer, considering you _are_ siblings.” Ino said, rolling her eyes. “I meant, like... What does he like?” She asked, waving a hand vaguely. The other girls on the ground chimed in.

“Does he have a hobby? Is he as cool as he looks?”

“What's his favorite color? Does he like to read?”

I was bombarded with questions as I struggled to keep up with the list thrown at me. How could these girls already be so interested? They haven’t even _spoken_ to Sasuke yet! I wasn't like this in my past life when I was five... was I? The thought made me frown.

“Hey, slow down! Let her answer one of them first!” Ino chided the other girls, causing the onslaught to cease. “Sorry.” Ino said, redirecting her attention to me, smiling apologetically as she pat me on the shoulder.

“It's... okay.” I said hesitantly. “Sasuke likes onigiri with okaka. He likes tomatoes too.” I said, trailing off in thought. “He spends his free time training and he doesn’t like annoying people or people who are pushy.” I paused. “Or being crowded.” I added. Hopefully that would at least keep them from flocking around him.

“Onigiri with okaka and tomatoes huh.” Ino said thoughtfully. “That settles it! I'll make him a lunch!”

“Eh?!” The other girls drawled in disappointment. “But Ino, we want to give Sasuke food too!”

“We can take turns and whoevers onigiri he likes best wins!” Ino said, smirking as she crossed her arms. ...She was making a competition out of this? Oh boy.

I suddenly felt as if I made a poor choice and that I would come to regret it. Not wanting to involve myself any further, I quietly slipped around the group as they chatted to resume my flower picking.

After a few more minutes, I was content with my collection. With a fist full of flora, I made my way back to Kimiko, eager to be finished for the day. The older woman stood beside the academy doors, looking pleased as she observed us all running around. I walked up to her and held out my bundle of flowers. She leaned down to my level and took my collection and turned it this way and that, noting each flower aloud to herself.

“There is no hidden message in this.” Kimiko deduced, smiling. I stared at her, slightly baffled. Was this a test?

Upon seeing the look on my face slowly morph into panic, she laughed. “Oh, don't look so alarmed. It was only an observation. You haven't learned how to send messages with flowers yet after all. That practice is called ikebana.”

“Ikebana?” I repeated. “I can send messages with flowers?”

“Yes.” Kimiko said, nodding as she begun to rearrange my tiny bouquet. “If you remove this one... and these.” She started, plucking out a few flowers and shifting others. “It can mean that you wish someone ill will.”

I gawked at her slightly before looking back to the bouquet in her hands. Of all the meanings she could pull up, why such an ominous one?

“Of course, if you rearrange these and take out these...” She continued, pulling more flowers out and causing the bundle to grow thin. “It can mean that you are thankful.”

“Huh.” I mused aloud. This was like Morse code, but with flowers. “Do active duty shinobi use this?” I asked curiously.

“Of course. Especially those who are on an infiltration mission.” Kimiko started, handing my little bouquet back. “It is a discreet way to pass along a message without being out-rightly obvious.”

“But wouldn't other shinobi be able to pick up on those messages?” I asked, frowning.

“Only those of the same village.” Kimiko started, her smile turning oddly sharp. “Each village has their own flower code.”

That was... _actually_ pretty cool. I stared back at her in wonder. “So shinobi from other villages won't know what our hidden messages are?”

“Not unless they're a konoha missing nin with training in the art.” Kimiko affirmed.

I turned the small bundle of flowers around in my hands, staring at the petals. Well now, my interest was piqued.

“I look forward to learning it.” I said, nodding to myself. Maybe I could tip people off with warnings this way?

“I'm glad.” Kimiko replied, smiling. “Since you've finished, you can leave. We'll be continuing tomorrow.”

“Alright.” I said, pausing before handing the small bouquet back to her with a smile. “My name is Aiko Uchiha, by the way.” I gave a small bow before straightening back up. “Bye, Kimiko sensei!” I chimed, turning and heading towards the academy’s front gates.

“Aiko!” Ino's voice called, stopping me halfway. I turned to the girl to give her my full attention as she rushed up to me. “You wanted to learn ikebana?” She asked eagerly.

“You were listening?” I asked, surprised. I didn't think I was speaking _that_ loudly.

“Yeah.” Ino said, smiling. “So, you're interested in ikebana, right? My family runs a flower shop. If you ever have questions, you can come to me.” She pointed to herself with a thumb and placed a hand on her hip.

“Really?” I asked. I already knew her family ran a flower shop, but I didn't expect such an offer.

…Then again, wasn't she super popular in the academy? And sociable? I guess it was a good idea to create as many ties as possible with potential fellow comrades.

“Of course!” Ino said. “I'll ask if I can invite you over with a few friends sometime.”

“That sounds fun.” I said, smiling. “I'll look forward to it.”

“You bet! See you tomorrow, Aiko!” Ino said, waving me off as I stepped past the academy gates and started off towards the Uchiha district.

“Making friends already?” Asked a familiar voice. I glanced up and spotted Shisui standing beside the gate.

“I think so?” I said, shrugging. “What are you doing here?”

“Picking you up. Itachi was busy and Mikoto is watching Sasuke.” Shisui explained as he walked up to me and extended a hand. After a brief pause, I took it.

“Shisui?” I asked as we started walking. When the older Uchiha glanced down at me, I continued. “Can you teach me the body flicker technique?”

“Body flicker?” Shisui mused. “Why do you want to learn that?”

“It'll be useful.” I said, frowning. “And you're a master of it. Can't you teach me?”

Shisui was quiet as he thought it over. “I could.” He said. “It won't be easy and you wont be able to do much until you're older but we can start small.”

A smile spread across my face at his words. “Really? Can we start now?”

“That eager?” Shisui said, laughing. “I guess we can make a pit stop before dropping you off at home.”

 _Score_ , I thought to myself, grinning from ear to ear. “Where are we gonna go?”

“The woods. There’s a spot that Itachi uses for training that not many other people hang around.” Shisui said, smiling. “You can train there too if you ever wanted to be alone.”

“I'll keep that in mind.” I said, nodding. “Thank you Shisui!” I chirped, squeezing his hand as I thought over what the body flicker might require. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a _little_ excited. I chanced a glance up and spotted Shisui smiling to himself as we walked.

The woods that Shisui mentioned were across the village. By the time we reached the edge of the woods and traversed inward, the sun was already hanging low in the sky. If I had to guess, I’d say it was already four or five.

“Here.” Shisui said as we came to a stop. My eyes drifted over all of the targets nailed to the surrounding trees, all placed at different heights and angles with a great number of nicks and scratches on their surface. “Itachi does a lot of kunai and shuriken training here, as you can see.”

“How does he hit something like that?” I asked, pointing up towards one of the targets that was angled away from the spot we were standing in. If I wanted to hit it, I'd have to reposition myself to the other side of the tree.

“Like this.” Shisui started, reaching into his kunai pouch and withdrawing two kunai, raising them up for me to see. I blinked curiously before he promptly threw one of the kunai in the targets general direction, immediately his body vanished before my eyes, his hands moving too quickly for me to grasp what hand seal was used, making me gasp. The sound of metal on metal drew my attention up to the kunai just in time to see Shisui deflect it just enough to send it impaling into the target, before he landed firmly on a tree branch.

“...Why not just body flicker and throw the kunai to begin with?” I asked as his body flickered back into place before me.

“Think of all these targets as an enemy.” Shisui started, gesturing to each one as he spoke. “If I were to body flicker out just to attack one, than they would all be behind me. If I take them all out at the same time, than that wouldn't be an issue.”

“All out at the same time?” I asked skeptically. “How do you do that?”

Without a word, Shisui withdrew more kunai, six in total and each one positioned between his fingers. I watched intently, not wanting to miss the smallest detail as he flicked both of his wrists, sending the kunai hurling to each target around us. His body flickered from sight once more as he repeated his previous display of redirection.

The resounding simultaneous _thunk_ had me gawking. Each target was a bulls-eye. How... he wasn't even _looking_ at them!

My eyes traveled across each target and kunai. The more I stared, the more floored I felt. My mouth hung open slightly in awe.

 _And he wasn't even using his sharingan._ What the hell could he do when he used it?

A hand was suddenly patting my head, causing my bow to bob with the motion, tearing me from my starstruck state. “You'll be able to do that too. Body flicker isn't required either. You can just throw a second kunai to redirect the first. It's what Itachi does.” Shisui said, smiling reassuringly. He always seemed to say that there’s always another way to go about things, like how he said that the use of sharingan wasn't required for success.

I resisted the urge to snort. Me? Do _that_? “I hope so.” I said, laughing to myself.

“But that's not why we're here.” Shisui started. “We're here for body flicker.”

“Right.” I said, tearing my eyes from the targets and standing up straight as I waited for instruction.

“The body flicker is something all shinobi learn at some point. It's a d-rank technique that uses the tiger hand seal. To the untrained eye it can look like teleportation, but it's just extreme speed.” Shisui explained, crossing his arms.

So... Shisui is basically sonic the hedgehog of shinobi?

I bit my lip, resisting the urge to laugh.

“The amount of chakra required for this technique is dependent on distance and elevation to your destination.” Shisui said, raising an eyebrow at my peculiar expression but otherwise not commenting on it. “This is why for you, we'll be practicing on flat ground and within a few feet until you improve and are older. Your chakra reserves as of now aren't the best for long range body flicker.” Shisui said, smiling apologetically.

“That's fine!” I assured him, nodding vigorously. “Anything is better than nothing.” I said, smiling. _I was going to learn body flicker._

“Right.” Shisui said, seemingly pleased that the setback wasn't an issue. “To use body flicker, you must use the tiger hand seal and focus your chakra to vitalize the body.” He explained. “When you succeed in doing that, move to your designated position.”

That was oddly... _vague_. I frowned slowly. “How do you use chakra to vitalize the body?” I asked, seeking clarification.

“You've practiced chakra control, right?” Shisui asked. When I nodded, he continued. “Focus your chakra to your center, like a rubber band. When you release it, move with the burst of energy. Internalize it.”

I blinked at him. Alright... I think I can work with that.

“Chakra to vitalize the body.” I murmured to myself, moving into a more agile stance. “Like a rubber band...”

I raised my hands up to mimic Shisui's tiger seal. Immediately I felt my chakra shifting beneath my skin, and willed it towards my center, taking a deep breath to focus. Chakra was still rather... foreign to me. I knew it was there and if I focused I could move it. My chakra felt warm and reassuring, like my heartbeat. I could sense it, both in myself and around me. I could sense Shisui's chakra standing off to the side, still and warm like embers.

My chakra vibrated as if like a pluck guitar string. My eyes snapped open at the sensation as my skin felt tingly and hypersensitive. The world around me seemed extremely clear and vivid as I suffered from what felt like an intense adrenaline rush. Every fiber of my being wanted to _move_.

Experimentally, I focused on a spot ahead of me and took a step forward, before the sensation vanished and I was suddenly hit with whiplash. A cloud of smoke poofed up around me and I teetered sideways, nearly toppling over from the intense sense of vertigo had Shisui's sudden appearance beside me not kept me upright.

“Looks like you're a quick learner.” Shisui mused, and I glanced up at him to see that his sharingan was active. When I met his eyes, they faded back to normal and he lowered me to the damp forest floor. I leaned against the tree I had nearly fallen into. “I activated my sharingan just in case.” He said. “I can keep track of your chakra that way.”

The sharingan could see chakra? Wasn't that a byakugan thing?

“You can see chakra?” I asked curiously.

“The sharingan isn't as good as the byakugan but it can see the flow of chakra and the color.” Shisui explained. “If you were having any trouble directing your chakra, I would have been able to see the cause and tell you the issue.”

“Oh.” I said thoughtfully, nodding. Convenient.

“You did it well though, other than the initial whiplash from using it for the first time.” Shisui said, smiling. “Good job.” He raised a hand and pat me on the head again.

I blinked as I mulled over his words. I actually learned something? That was a _success_? I nearly face-planted the ground.

“I did it?” I asked, more so to myself than him.

“You did.” Shisui said, retracting his hand as he leaned forward on his knees. “I'd say you're a natural.”

“And the... whiplash is _normal_?” I asked skeptically, glancing at him.

“For the first few times, yea.” Shisui nodded. “Eventually you overcome it and the technique can be second-nature.”

So if I wanted to master this, I had to endure inflicting whiplash on myself? Fantastic.

“I wanna keep trying.” I said, and attempted to rise to my feet only to feel my legs wobble like jello and I immediately slumped back to the ground. I felt like I just got off a roller coaster for the first time. What the hell would it feel like if the spot I wanted to body flicker to was _elevated_?

“No, I think that's enough for today.” Shisui said, and I frowned. “You went further than I thought you would and it ate through a chunk of your chakra. Not to mention the after-effects from using the technique for the first time.” He added, glancing at my shaky legs.

“Can we train more later?” I asked, glancing up at him with hopeful eyes as he nodded.

“Of course.” Shisui said as he moved in front of me and leaned down, presenting his back. “Here, I'll carry you home.”

“Thanks.” I murmured as I moved and positioned myself on his back and gripped his shoulders as he looped his arms under my legs. When he stood up, I glanced around and noticed we were a lot farther from where we started, and farther than where I initially intended to stop. Didn't I only take a step? I needed to work on that.

“Your clothes got a bit dirty from the ground. Is your mom going to be mad?” Shisui asked. “You can blame it on me.”

I couldn't help but giggle at his complete willingness to literally being thrown under the bus. “Don't worry, she wont be mad.” I assured him.

“Really?” Shisui asked, glancing at me.

“She'll be furious.” I said, dropping my smile and all joy from my voice.

“...Oh.” Shisui said, and his shoulders slumped slightly.

I rolled my eyes and pat him on the shoulder as I spoke, shaking slightly with laughter. “I'm kidding. It's fine.”

“Geez. Aren't you evil.” Shisui joked, and I could practically hear him roll his eyes as he smiled. I had no idea if he was just playing along or not but I was glad for the lighthearted banter.

I think this was the first time I was ever left alone with Shisui. Usually he was in the company of Itachi, or waiting for Itachi with me and Sasuke. If things went well, he would be helping train me and I'd get to see him more often.

 _If things went well..._ I repeated, the thought trailing off and my smile dropped. _He's going to die._

“Shisui?” I asked, gaining his attention. We were still within the woods. It wouldn't be long before we were back in the village, surrounded by people.

“Hmm?” Shisui made no motion to glance at me as he walked and I took it as my cue to talk.

“Do you think it's possible for someone to know the future?” I asked, trying to keep my voice light and curious.

“Like an oracle or soothsayer?” Shisui questioned, and I nodded, despite him not being able to see.

“Yea.” I confirmed, trying to lean forward to get a better view of his face and failing.

“I don't see why not, but I imagine its incredibly rare.” Shisui mused. “The great toad sage of Mount Myōboku, is said to be able to see the future. Who's to say that no one else can?”

“Even people?” I asked.

“Even people.” Shisui affirmed, shrugging his shoulders and causing me to bob up and down. I frowned, unable to tell if he was just humoring me or not.

“What if someone told you they could see the future, and their predictions always came true, or that they knew things about people or places they shouldn't?” I continued carefully.

“Is something going on, Aiko?” Shisui asked and I bit my lip.

“...Would you sell them out, or not believe them?” I continued weakly.

By this point, Shisui had stopped walking and shifted me so that he could see my face more easily. I turned my gaze down to avoid meeting his eyes. “Why would you think that I'd sell you out?” His voice sounded small and hurt.

My breathing hitched and my grip on his shoulders tightened.

“We can talk before we get you home, you know.” Shisui pointed out as he looked at me with worry. I shook my head.

“No, not yet.” I murmured, suddenly feeling vary small.

“But eventually, right?” Shisui asked. I nodded.

“Don't tell anyone.” I said. “Not even Itachi.”

“Alright.” Shisui said without any questions. Did he actually believe me? “You know, you kind of always did act a bit different.”

“Different?” I questioned, glancing back at him.

“Nothing bad, just that you always seemed distracted by something.” Shisui said as he begun walking again. “Like you were somewhere else.”

I was quiet as his words sunk in. I shouldn't be surprised that Shisui caught on right away, being anbu and all. Had I said too much? Should I not have said anything at all? I already planned to tell him anyway, at some point...

I needed to if I wanted him to survive.

I needed to gather my thoughts and explain it to him in a way that he'd understand. The woods probably weren’t the best place to delve into all the details either, it was too open and easily accessible.

Or maybe I’m just overly paranoid.

“You know, I have a lot of questions.” Shisui said, drawing me out of my thoughts.

“I'll answer them eventually. I promise.” I said, nodding. I couldn't back out now. “Thank you, Shisui.”

I needed his help if I was going to save him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this chapter is the longest one so far? I had a lot to cover.  
> Special thanks to firstar28, Orlha, Samestclasse, and matchynishi for the comments thus far as well as the 64 kudos as of 10/21/17! Honestly if you guys could see my face... well lets be honest I'm hiding my face behind my hands as I lay on the floor blushing.  
> @Orlha, Aiko and Shikamaru will have some special scenes, especially more so down the line as the fic progresses and things go as planned :>  
> *cue the fangirling authoress rambles here*  
> Honestly I can't wait till we hit graduation and especially the chunin exams like aaah I have plansss. *shakes*  
> On another note I like the relationship that Aiko and Shisui have, which you'll see more of as time goes on.  
> I imagine Shisui as being pretty insightful and on his wiki, it says he's "able to see through the emotional nature of others and likewise able to notice the smallest details around him" so I pegged him as being the first to pick up on Aiko's unusual behavior and not believing her when she says shes fine, whilst not the type to judge or pry further because she is (at least physically) just a five year old kid in his eyes and the younger sister to his best friend.  
> 


	6. Chapter 6

It's been three weeks since we started at the academy.

Three _long_ weeks.

I was grateful for all the lessons and training, but the more time ticked by, the worse I felt. I never spotted the Third Hokage again after the opening ceremony. I managed to train with Shisui two more times when he wasn't busy with a mission, and whenever I trained with him, I got cold feet and put off telling him anything else.

_Why couldn't I just **tell** Shisui?_

All of the what ifs loomed over me like a guillotine.

_What if Danzō finds out? What if nothing changes regardless of any effort I make?_

I guess my pessimism from my past life decided to cling to me like a disease. Shisui never brought up the topic again, much to my surprise. Was he just letting me go at my own pace? Wasn't he curious? I owed him an explanation. He was being too nice, too patient.

Yes... I'll explain things to him during our next training session. I'll ask him if we can talk at his house just to be secure. I've got a rough idea on how to begin and what topics to bring up now.

I _needed_ to be honest with him, and I needed to soon.

I'll brainstorm ways to help counter the future in the meantime. Hopefully I can come up with decent suggestions. If not, I'm sure Shisui will be able to supply his own.

I was knocked off my feet by a kick to my side that sent me tumbling to the ground at an awkwardly angle, ripping me from my thoughts. I hissed and rubbed at my aching side as I stood back up. Sasuke stood a few feet away from me, fists at the ready. He'd gotten better at taijutsu, I noted dryly.

“Again.” Dad instructed from his seat on the veranda, voice booming across the area. I returned to my stance, body tense and ready to spring into action.

All of the kata's we were taught so far were rather aggressive in nature, it was how the Uchiha style worked best. It was a mesh of multiple styles all reformed to fit the Uchiha mold, and considering we could copy anything we saw, I doubted any two styles were completely the same. Using them on someone taught the same way proved a bit difficult, however.

Sasuke gave me only a moments respite before advancing. Within seconds he was in front of me, leg swinging out and aimed at my face. I ducked, feeling the rush of air blow over me before I rose up, fist angled towards his face.

Sasuke side stepped and I swiveled on my heel, bringing up my leg in an arc towards his face. He brought his arms up to shield himself and stumbled back slightly on impact. I took the opening and lowered myself, swaying slightly. I threw my left leg out, attempting to knock his feet out from under him, but he caught sight of my movement and hopped up into the air. I scowled, and rose from the ground as he landed. He once again threw another punch towards my face. I clenched my teeth as I side stepped and grabbed hold of his arm, pulling it behind him and shoving him to the ground face first as I placed a knee to his back.

“You both still need work.” Dad said, sighing as he stood up before walking towards us. “Sasuke, you're fluidity needs to be refined. Aiko, you need to improve on your balance and focus, don't think I didn't see you nearly trip again.” He said, voice firm.

“Focus huh...” I murmured as I released Sasuke and extended a hand to him, pulling him up from the ground. Once we were both up, we hooked our middle and index fingers together. The seal of reconciliation–I found the gesture to be rather off putting, but it _did_ get rid of some tension.

“You go low a lot.” Sasuke mumbled, dusting himself off. I snorted but didn't comment. We'd spent a a bit of our morning sparing–Sasuke won twice while I won once.

“Go and get changed. Your mother will drop you off at the academy today.” Dad said, moving to go back into the house. After making sure Sasuke was alright, I turned to follow.

“Aiko?” Sasuke asked, causing me to pause. I turned to look back at him as he made his way towards me. “How come you always seem distracted?” He asked curiously, before his brows furrowed together and he slowly frowned. “Is it the nightmares?”

“Just got a lot on my mind is all.” I said, smiling reassuringly. “I'm fine.”

Sasuke didn't seem convinced, but his eyes looked past me and as I turned to see who caught his attention, I ran straight into Itachi's finger, getting poked on the forehead in the process as well as startled.

“H-hey!” I started, moving a hand to cover my forehead protectively and stumbling back. “No fair, I didn't even know you were there!”

“You do need to work on your focus, Aiko.” Itachi said, smiling as he glanced at Sasuke. “Breakfast is ready.” He added as he walked back into the house, waving for us to follow.

“At least it wasn't me this time.” Sasuke murmured, smirking. I rolled my eyes as we made our way towards our rooms, changing, and heading to the kitchen.

It was one of the rare days when everyone was present. Mom, dad, Itachi, Sasuke, and myself. As I took a seat at the table beside Sasuke, itachi took a seat across from me while mom and dad took the ends.

“How is the academy?” Dad asked as he took a sip of tea.

“Good.” Chirped Sasuke as he picked at his food with his chopsticks. “So far we're at the top of our class.”

“Both of you?” Dad questioned, and Sasuke nodded vigorously. “I see. Keep it up.”

Me? At the top of the class? I didn't bother checking student rankings. I didn't see the point, considering it had only been a month. Of course, I was pretty sure Sasuke had better practical scores so far.

Sasuke smiled when I glanced at him and I couldn't help but smile in return. We both made short work of our breakfasts and were out the door with mom leading the way, pulling us along by our hands.

“Aiko, how's training with Shisui going?” Mom asked as we walked. I spotted Sasuke glancing around her towards me with curious interest.

“Good.” I said. “I'm getting better with the body flicker technique!”

Granted, I still couldn't travel more than a few feet without wanting to throw up but it was progress. I could at least stay upright now and I no longer overextended. When I wasn't training under the watchful eye of Shisui, mom was willing to oversee my training that way I didn't hurt myself somehow.

“He said he'd help me with kunai throwing.” I added. “I just wish we could hang out more.” I murmured, my smile faltering before dropping completely. The time we had together was always short and scattered.

“Both Itachi and Shisui are quite busy, aren’t they?” Mom mused sadly, squeezing my hand reassuringly. “I'm sure they make as much time as they can for you two.”

“Itachi's been helping me with my taijutsu.” Sasuke announced. “And with my shuriken throwing.”

“Explains why you got better at beating me up.” I mumbled. Sasuke grinned at me as he spoke.

“Itachi's the best. He knows everything.” Sasuke said. I rolled my eyes and nodded. To a child, their older sibling is the smartest person in the world, as well as the strongest in this case it seems.

“Itachi is always happy to help.” Mom added, smiling contently. “He's very proud of you two.”

Sasuke beamed as he tugged on moms hand to gain her attention. “Is Itachi going to be home today?”

Mom paused. “... I don't think he'll be home. He has a mission today.”

“...Oh.” Sasuke said, frowning. His gaze drifted towards me. “Aiko, wanna spar when we get home?” He asked, perking up.

“Alright.” I said, nodding. I had to work on my taijutsu, after all, and I didn't want Sasuke to feel lonely.

“Look at my two hard workers.” Mom cooed as we came to a stop at the academy gates. She leaned down and kissed both of us on our foreheads before pushing us onwards. “I'll see you two later.” She said. I waved back at her as I walked towards the building, Sasuke keeping pace beside me.

“So you're learning body flicker from Shisui?” Sasuke asked. I cast a sideways glance at him. His head was held high and his hands were in his pockets as he looked at me.

“Yeah.” I said, nodding. “It's hard, but I'm getting better.”

“Can you teach it to me after you learn it?” He asked eagerly, casting me a glance, and I shrugged.

“Of course. Can you help me with shuriken throwing?” I asked.

“You need all the help you can get.” Sasuke scoffed. I narrowed my eyes and elbowed him, eliciting a quiet 'ow' as he rubbed his arm. “Tch. Yea, I'll help you.”

I smiled, satisfied with the answer.

The two of us arrived at our classroom and I trailed after Sasuke who paused beside Shikamaru's desk to talk with the young Nara.

“You two are usually here before me.” Shikamaru noted when he spied us approaching. Chōji sat beside him and I noticed he wasn't eating from a bag of chips, to my surprise. Maybe he was saving them for later?

“We were sparring.” Sasuke said, smirking. “I wanted to show dad our progress.”

“Sparring in the morning?” Shikamaru said, raising an eyebrow. “Don't we do enough of that in class?”

“No.” Sasuke said, as if it were obvious, I bit my lip at the look on Shikamaru's face.

“Who won?” Chōji asked curiously, glancing between me and Sasuke.

“Sasuke did.” I said, nodding at my brother who crossed his arms smugly.

“Should of known.” Shikamaru drawled, sighing. “The most I get made to do in the morning is stretch.”

 _Being a Nara must be pretty nice_ , I thought idly.

“Where's Naruto?” I asked, spotting the empty seat beside Shikamaru. No wonder it was quiet.

“Late.” Shikamaru said, shrugging.

“Oh.” I murmured, before leaving Sasuke to chat and moving to take my seat. As I waited for class to start, I wondered whether or not Shisui would be able to train today.

With how busy he was, we didn't really have set training days. The only way I knew if I was going to be training with him or not was when kunoichi classes were over, if he was waiting for me at the gate.

The sound of a dog barking drew my attention across the room. Kiba had arrived with Akamaru, the small dog was sniffing their desk, tail wagging vigorously. I glanced around at the other students and spotted Sakura sitting alone at the desk in the front middle row, reading a book. Ino was once again conversing with a group of girls merrily, a smile plastered on her face as she spoke.

The slight scratching of a pencil moving behind me caused me to glance back, and nearly gasp from surprise at finding Shino sitting at the desk directly behind me, writing something on a piece of paper. When did he come in anyway?

I quickly returned my gaze forward, wanting to avoid an awkward exchange as I bit my lip. Hinata entered the classroom and moved to take her seat beside me, settling in for the day and wishing me good morning as she went about preparing a notebook and pencil. It was at that moment that Iruka stepped in, pulling an annoyed looking Naruto behind him.

“Alright everyone. Take your seats, class will be starting.” Iruka called over the chatter and everyone dispersed to their respective seat. Sasuke stepped back from Shikamaru and moved behind Hinata and myself to reach his seat by the window, sitting up straight and giving Iruka his full attention.

The day blew by like many others. At the start of the class, we were instructed to go through each hand seal, much like preschoolers in my previous world were drilled on reciting the alphabet at the start of class. It was done for the sake of memorization and to ensure our hands were kept flexible.

To my surprise, we were also taught basic math and science as well as history. Majority of the content was rather easy, and history was interesting enough that it managed to keep my attention. Compared to my old world, the history of this one wasn't as extensive and far reaching. I wonder, were there ever dinosaurs here? I guess tailed beasts kind of made up for that shortcoming though.

Taijutsu classes were pretty straightforward. Like PE but more intense. We were taught the basic academy style taijutsu, which, to clan children, only acted as an extender to their preexisting clan style. It was easy to spot children who didn't have any early exposure to taijutsu, especially civilian kids. The Uchiha style that I was taught thus far was aggressive and very in-your-face. The academy style was general and seemed to work best for a defensive type of assault. It wasn't very difficult to mesh the katas with the Uchiha style, though. Besides learning taijutsu, we'd be told to run laps and stretch and if there was time to spare, we were paired off to spar.

While I enjoyed sparring with people who I didn't know and being able to learn even more through the new experience, it was embarrassing to lose. It stung, especially when you were surrounded by people who were judging you based on skill, or people who already judged you based on your clan alone. I may have the mind of a grown woman but the thought of a bunch of children laughing at me wasn't something I wanted to deal with. It didn't really help my pride that they were all _kids_. After the first handful of loses, I made an effort to _win_.

Now, I was no pushover. I was progressing gradually and improving. The way they paired people off to spar was typically girl vs girl or boy vs boy. Out of all of the girls, I grew to become second best.

The number one position belonged to Hinata.

The Hyūga style gentle fist was, contrary to the name, _brutal,_ to say the least. Getting jabbed hurt bad enough, but getting hit in a tenketsu point with chakra, even _slightly_? That hurt much, _much_ more. It was like getting stabbed with an ice cold needle that left behind a phantom pain and intense numbness in the area. I didn't event want to know what it felt like to get hit full force. I was glad she didn't use the gentle fist when sparring, even if she could unblock tenketsu points she hit. When I got jabbed in the shoulder, I involuntarily spewed out an English curse word that no one understood and got a fair amount of looks for my display.

The only reason I knew how bad it hurt was because our instructor thought it would be a 'good learning lesson and experience'. It was both of those on top of my dawning realization that teaching standards of this world were drastically different from my previous one. That, and that Iruka was the best sensei I could have possibly gotten.

Out of the boys, Sasuke was the best, unsurprisingly. I doubted that he would let it be any other way. I await the day when he gets pit against Hinata for the first time.

Ninjutsu thus far has been relatively tame. More drilling on hand seals and explanations of chakra and jutsu. The first jutsu we were taught was the e-rank substitution jutsu. It consisted of five hand seals–ram, boar, ox, dog, and snake. It was quite disorienting to spontaneously replace yourself with something else, not quite as bad as the body flicker, but it was still _fast_. I always needed to take a moment to assess my surroundings after substitution–which I was told I needed to fix because that split second assessment could be my last in a fight.

I had to keep myself _moving_.

My ability to seamlessly go from hand seal to hand seal still needed work too, but I found it to be good practice. A lot of people seemed to underestimate the substitution jutsu's usefulness. Besides replacing yourself with objects, you could replace yourself with other people, granted they could resist the pull, but if they were caught off guard... you could essentially cause an enemy to kill one of their own.

According to Iruka, we would be leaning other jutsu like the clone jutsu later as well as various techniques. When he mentioned the body flicker technique, I was mildly surprised. The more I thought about it though, the more sense it made. It was a skill all shinobi knew, and teaching it at the academy made sense.

They weren’t teaching kids body flicker so they could use it in battle though. They taught it as a secondary skill, mainly for travel.

“ _Body flicker in battle? Well... I wouldn't advise it without a lot of practice, but its possible. You'll need to train up your endurance if you plan to use it like that and figure out your own limit.”_ Shisui had said during our second training session. “ _You'll wear yourself out otherwise from chakra exhaustion.”_

Genjutsu classes were direct and we were told what genjutsu were and how to break them, a simple surge of chakra could break weak genjutsu. Pain was another way to break free. Sharingan users also had the upper hand in being able to decipher the illusion from reality easier than that of a normal person. I guess having special eyeballs had it's benefits.

By the time the day was over and I was whisked away for kunoichi classes, I was relatively tired.

“Today I would like you all to collect flowers again.” Kimiko instructed us as she gestured towards the field we always came to, regardless of whether flowers were involved or not. “Collect any of your choosing for any of the messages we've learned so far.”

I drifted off with the rest of the girls. Surprisingly, ikebana was more difficult to learn than I expected. In theory, it was easy, but it involved a lot of memorization of flowers and the various ways of combining them to send a message. If even one is wrong, the message is lost.

I inhaled a deep breath of air as I looked over the field for my first flower. Spotting a patch of pink, I made my way over.

“Big forehead!”

I froze at the voice. It was cynical and crude. I glanced around, trying to pinpoint the source. _If they were talking about a big forehead..._

“Stop it!” Cried out another voice, small and broken. My eyes zeroed in on a tiny pink haired girl huddled on the ground, hands covering her forehead as she shook. _Sakura,_ I thought, eyes widening.

“Forehead girl! Your forehead goes on for miles!” Said one of the two girls who stood above Sakura. They giggled as Sakura shook again with a quiet sob.

I scowled, _bullies_ , I thought. I prepared to step forward and redirect their attention, but Ino's sudden appearance halted me. I watched as the platinum blonde defended Sakura, and the two bullies shrunk back and retreated. Ino leaned down to Sakura and spoke in a hushed voice that I couldn't hear, and for the first time in a long while, I was hit with déjà vu.

 _..This is when Ino and Sakura become friends, isn't it?_ I thought, brows knitting together.

As I stared on, lost in my own thoughts, Ino raised a hand and waved at me. “Aikooo. Come here for a sec, will ya?”

I glanced at Sakura, who still looked a bit withdrawn, and made my way over. “Yea Ino?” I asked as the two stood up.

“What do you think about Sakura?” Ino asked, throwing an arm around the pinkette's shoulders and smiling as she turned Sakura in my direction.

“I-Ino!” Sakura squeaked, looking like a deer caught in headlights as she was put in the spotlight. She shook, as if she might burst into tears again just from sheer embarrassment. Her green eyes shot to me, then back to Ino, before settling on staring at the ground between us.

I hadn't talked to Sakura much outside of small greetings and exchanging of words so far. We weren’t well acquainted and I was no Ino. I couldn't bring her out of her shell. It took a certain kind of person to do that for people, and I wasn't that person.

Sakura's gaze was downcast as she avoided meeting my eyes. She laced and unlaced her fingers repeatedly as if it were a nervous tick.

 _This is Sakura..._ I thought to myself, looking her over as a small smile formed on my face. She was so young. _The next Tsunade, the girl who took on Sasori and lived, the girl who loves my brother._

_And shes worried about having a big forehead._

“... I think that Sakura has very pretty pink hair.” I started, voice filled with a gentle conviction as I spoke. The shaking in Sakura's shoulders froze. “I think that she's very smart, beautiful, and strong. She's going to go far.”

Ino's smile shifted to a blank expression while Sakura slowly looked back to my face, eyes wide with surprise.

“... Really?” Sakura asked, her voice quiet. If I wasn't standing as close as I was, I wouldn’t have heard her.

“Really. You're going to do amazing things.” I affirmed, smiling.

“...See that? Your forehead doesn’t matter.” Ino chimed in. “If Aiko thinks you can do anything, it doesn’t matter what those girls say about you. You'll show them!” Ino said, grinning at Sakura reassuringly as she spoke.

“Besides, they say having a big forehead means you have a big brain. You can just outsmart them.” I added, shrugging. “You have an advantage.”

“...I don't know.” Sakura murmured, raising a hand to cover her forehead.

Ino's gaze drifted to my ribbon atop my head and a thoughtful look crossed her face. “Hey Sakura, meet me here tomorrow, okay?” Ino said, turning to face Sakura and moving her hand out of the way to push the pinkette's bangs up and out of her face.

“...Eh? Why?” Sakura asked tentatively, frowning.

“Just do it. I'll have something special for you!” Ino said, withdrawing her hand and grinning as she looked back to me. “Sorry for dragging you away from your flower picking.”

“It's alright.” I said, smiling. “Glad I could help.”

I turned away from the two to let them be alone and resumed my flower picking, gathering just enough to relay the message of 'mission complete', before turning in my small bouquet to Kimiko. She deemed my work acceptable and dismissed me for the day.

As I stepped past the academy gates, I was disappointed to find that Shisui wasn't around. The older Uchiha must have been on yet another mission.

Not wanting to keep Sasuke waiting, assuming he was still interested in sparring, I started off towards the Uchiha district, hands in my pockets and my eyes darting around curiously and taking note of everything I passed. I may have already lived five years in this world but I kept finding something new wherever I looked. A shop that sold masks or an inn that smelled of cedarwood as I passed by its doors. An Akimichi-run restaurant with the inviting aroma of various dishes or a public hot spring where steam rolled out and into the street.

There were lots of things to keep someone busy if they weren’t a shinobi.

“Didn't you hear me!? Get lost!” Shouted an angry masculine voice. Without warning, a small body tumbled in front of me and onto the ground, causing me to gasp and step back hastily.

My eyes landed on a head of blond hair and whisker marks as Naruto leaned up and rubbed at his shoulder before standing and dusting himself off, a deep scowl on his face as he moved. He wore the same clothes from the academy, a dingy white top with a red swirl on it and baggy black shorts. I looked towards the man that had yelled at him, but saw that he was already gone, back into whatever shop it was he ran. I frowned.

“Aiko?” Naruto asked, drawing my attention back to him. His cerulean blue eyes stared at me as if he were just seeing me for the first time. “What are you doing here?”

“Walking home. You?” I asked, ignoring the obvious scene that I had just witnessed for his sake. His expression twisted into something I couldn't place. Was that... _shame_ I was seeing?

“Nothing.” Naruto mumbled, shoulders slack. “Sorry for bothering you.” He added. I frowned as I watched him nervously avoid meeting my gaze. His small hands were balled into fists at his sides.

“You're not a bother, Naruto.” I murmured, unable to stop myself.

Naruto looked back up at my face, his eyes widened. “I'm not?” He asked, his voice a mix of hope and hesitation.

“Nope.” I chimed, smiling and lacing my hands behind my back as I rocked on my heels. “You can be annoying and kind of obnoxious...” I started, and he scowled while I quickly continued before he could say anything. “But you've got a good heart.”

“A good heart?” Naruto mused, blinking owlishly as he cocked his head to the side.

“The kind that will make for a great Hokage someday.” I said warmly.

“You think I can be Hokage?” Naruto asked, his voice coming out in quiet surprise, eyes wide as he stared at me in wonder.

“I know you can.” I affirmed.

A comfortable silence fell between us as people passed by. For a split second I was worried that maybe he wouldn't believe me, but a short, quiet laugh escaped him that swayed my fears.

“...Heh.” Naruto raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck as he smiled. “Gee. Thanks Aiko. You're the first person who said that.”

“I'm sure lots of other people will.” I replied, shrugging. I was glad he was smiling now at least. “I need to get home though, I promised that I would spar with Sasuke. Are you going to be okay?”

“I'll be fine!” Naruto said, his smile morphing into a grin. “Beat up that bast–y-your brother for me!” He added before turning on his heel and taking off down the street. I watched him vanish among the crowd, an amused smile on my face. Was he about to call Sasuke a _bastard_? I was mildly surprised that he managed to correct himself.

Sometimes I forgot that everyone’s still a kid and that they’re all dealing with kid things and insecurities. They all might grow up to be exceptional adults, but right now, they were just a bunch of kids trying to get by and graduate.

 _They're just a bunch of kids,_ I repeated, my smile faltering. They were going to face things that I wouldn't wish on anyone.

...The least I could do is try to ensure they have a better chance.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Tiam, Orlha (why hello there, it seems we meet again *wiggles eyebrows*), and aprill101 for the lovely comments!  
> @Tiam I love your comment just for how pumped you sound, it inspired me to write for a few extra hours >///<
> 
> This chapter's not as talk-filled as past ones, I hope that's alright.  
> When i started this I didn't have a set update schedule in mind, but for now I'm attempting to update every three to four days/once a week (usually I have a backlog of finished chaps prepared so hopefully I won't fall behind).  
> Shisui is a busy guy just like Itachi but do not fret for he will be returning for that chat soon and Aiko will be ready~ In the mean time a wild Itachi will appear.
> 
> Fun fact : I've been writing fanfiction for six years but this is the first thing I've >ever< posted online. I guess it took me six years to work up the courage and of course the first thing I decide to do is show up to the Naruto OC party late with Starbucks.  
> Bonus fun fact : When I was first creating this story, I was considering making Aiko Hinata's twin. That idea was scrapped because I didn't think i would be able to write the Hyūga household well, plus I really wanted to include Itachi and Shisui early on.


	7. Chapter 7

“Say that again!” Kiba shouted. Akamaru let out a low growl from beside the Inuzuka.

“What, mangy mutt?” Naruto shot back tauntingly.

I sighed and closed my eyes as I ran a hand over my face. “You would think he'd learn.” I mumbled to myself. Beside me, Sasuke snorted.

“The day he learns will be the day he's no longer dead last.” Sasuke mumbled, rolling his eyes.

“Kiba! Naruto!” Iruka's voice thundered through the room, the older man having obviously run out of patience, again. “Step out into the hall!”

Kiba cast Naruto a heated glare before doing as instructed, Naruto mumbled and followed after.

Iruka sighed as he looked over the rest of the class. “We'll break for lunch.” He announced. “Don't go too far or off academy grounds.” He added as he stepped out of the classroom. I could just make out the beginnings of his scolding for the two boys before I tuned it out.

I reached down beside my seat and picked up my pack, pulling my bento out and setting it on my desk. Sasuke was ahead of me and already eating one of his onigiri. “You know, a few days ago a bunch of girls gave me a bunch of bentos.” Sasuke said, eying me as he spoke. “They all had onigiri with okaka and a side of tomatoes.”

I failed to keep my mouth from twitching up in an amused smirk.

“You told them what I liked, didn't you?” Sasuke accused, frowning upon spotting my expression.

“...I may have said something.” I drawled, waving my chopsticks at him and shrugging. “It's not like they were going to poison you.” I added.

“They might as well have.” Sasuke grimaced.

Oh... that bad? Did they all prepare the bentos themselves? That's certainly a degree of dedication I didn't expect from preschoolers.

“A-aiko.” Hinata spoke, drawing my attention to her as Sasuke resumed eating. “I think that Ino w-wants to speak with you.”

I blinked, and looked towards the top back row, and sure enough, Ino was eying me with an expectant look in her eyes before raising a hand and waving me over. Sakura sat beside her, looking a lot more happy compared to the last time I saw her. A red bow sat atop her head, keeping her bangs back. Both of them had brightly colored bento's placed in front of them, oddly fitting for their personalities. I set my chopsticks down on my bento and picked it up to take with me as I rose from my seat, brushing past Hinata and stepping up the row of desks till I was beside theirs, moving to take the empty seat beside Ino.

“Aiko, I have a really important question.” Ino said, setting her chopsticks aside and smiling as Sakura gave me a curious look. “Do you know if Sasuke has a favorite flower? Or color?”

“...Why?” I asked, frowning. I doubted Sasuke would like me much if I kept selling out his likes to girls, not that I really planned on it to begin with.

“Why?” Ino blinked. “Your birthday is coming up, that's why! Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday?” She said worriedly, frowning as she eyed me.

“It's on July 23rd, right?” Sakura asked.

I opened my mouth, and for a split second, I almost said _no._ “... Yea, July 23 rd.” I affirmed quietly, nodding slowly as my gaze turned downcast. I frowned, staring at my bento as I picked up my chopsticks.

Sometimes I confused my old birthday with my new one. How many people could say they had _two_ birthdays?

 _I never got to celebrate reaching twenty-two,_ I thought, feeling a lump form in my throat. _Not only that, but getting older meant we were getting closer to–_

“Aiko?” Sakura asked quietly while Ino shook my shoulder.

“Yea, July 23rd.” I repeated stiffly. “So you're asking for gift ideas for Sasuke?” I asked, pushing the conversation forward as I started eating.

“Yea.” Ino said, though her expression was still riddled with worry as she slowly retracted her hand. “We were gonna give him a flower.”

“Just you two?” I asked, glancing at Sakura. “I don't wanna give out information if the whole class is going to hear about it. Besides, I think it's more meaningful if you give him a flower you think he'll like. Something you picked out yourself, just for him.”

“Really?” Ino questioned, and I nodded. “Than I'll give him the best flower in our shop! There's no way he wont like it than.” She proclaimed, smiling to herself thoughtfully. I spotted Sasuke staring back at me, and grinned. He narrowed his eyes and turned back to his food.

A thought suddenly occurred to me and I frowned. “Ino?” I asked.

“Yea?” The platinum blonde asked, meeting my gaze as she picked up one of her onigiri.

“How'd you guys know when our birthday was?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We asked Iruka sensei.” Sakura said, smiling. “He thought it was nice that we wanted to get you guys something.”

“You're getting me something too?” I questioned, and Ino smirked.

“Of course! Did you think we wouldn't? Geez.” Ino said. “And no, you don't get any hints yet.” She added with a smug smile.

I couldn't keep the light chuckle from escaping. “I look forward to the surprise.” I said, and paused. “Sakura?”

“Yea?” Sakura asked, looking at me expectantly.

“The bow looks good on you.” I said, gesturing to the top of her head. She blushed faintly and looked away.

“T-thanks.” She mumbled. “Ino gave it to me.”

“Ino has good taste.” I said approvingly, casting the blonde a glance. She raised a hand and gave me a thumbs up. I snorted.

“So you and Sasuke's birthday is coming up? How troublesome, two birthdays at the same time.” Shikamaru said from his seat at the desk in front of Ino.

“You were listening? That's rude.” Ino chided, narrowing her eyes. “Speak up sooner next time.”

Shikamaru sighed while Chōji glanced back at me expectantly.

“Is there going to be cake?” Chōji asked curiously, eating from his bento.

“I dunno?” I said, shrugging. “Probably?”

“Is that all you care about?” Ino said exasperatedly, sighing. “It's no wonder you're so fa-”

I slapped a hand over her mouth before she could finish her sentence, catching both Chōji and Shikamaru tense. Chōji didn't appear angry, more so startled than anything and a little apprehensive. Ino's eyes were wide as she stared at me while Sakura glanced among the group, unsure of what went wrong. Did Chōji not have that quirk yet where he gets incredibly angry at the label? _Oh dear this... this is awkward then._

While I might not have any huge triggers myself, I knew better than to trigger someone, especially Chōji. He was a good kid, he didn't need people calling him names. On top of that, I was genuinely surprised that Ino was about to comment on it. Was she already growing self-conscious about her weight?

I removed my hand and Ino cast me a very confused glance as I shook my head 'no' as slightly as I could while still getting the message across. She glanced back at Chōji who was staring at her. “What were you saying, Ino?” He asked, chopsticks still halfway to his mouth.

“...I was saying that 'it's no wonder you're so fabulously well fed'.” Ino said, and proceeded to laugh awkwardly while Chōji, apparently content with the cover up, smiled and resumed eating. Shikamaru cast me a glance, eyebrow raised, but seemed to relax as the tension faded.

“If there's cake, I'll save you a piece Chōji.” I offered.

“Really?” Chōji asked, finishing up the rest of his bento.

“Yea. I'm sure mom will let me bring a slice to give to you.” I said, waving a hand nonchalantly. I wasn't a huge fan of cake to begin with, not in my past life or this life.

“You're spoiling him, Aiko.” Ino chided, sighing.

“Aiko?” Sakura asked, and I leaned around Ino to see her.

“Yea?” I asked.

“What's your favorite color?” Sakura asked tentatively.

“Red.” I said, smiling. “And I like lilies.”

Sakura's eyes momentarily widened and I grinned before turning my attention back to my bento. The rest of lunch break went without a hitch. Ino managed to fill majority of the silence with chatter with Sakura speaking up whenever given the chance. Shikamaru seemed as if he dosed off, but I had half a mind to think he wasn't _really_ sleeping.

At some point, Kiba had returned to the classroom with Akamaru trailing behind him, and a sour look on his face as he reclaimed his seat and slouched forward onto his desk. Not long after, Naruto reappeared with Iruka following behind the small blond. I took their arrival as my cue to return to my seat.

“You were talking about me again, weren’t you?” Sasuke asked, eying me with suspicion as he spoke.

“Yup.” I said, shrugging as I settled back into my seat. “Don't worry.”

“Kind of hard not to.” Sasuke mumbled, casting me a glare before turning his attention to the front of the classroom.

“Alright everyone, we're going to practice our kunai throwing today.” Iruka announced, smiling as he spoke. “You'll be paired off and will be required to help each other improve. We'll rotate partners until class comes to an end.”

“As if we need the help.” Sasuke mumbled. “We're the best ones here.” He said, but I could tell he was eager to be moving judging by the glint in his eye and how fast he stood from his seat. Maybe he just wanted to show off.

He probably just wanted to show off.

Iruka lead us out of the classroom and through the halls until we came to a set of double doors that lead out to a practice field, one we typically used for sparring. A great number of logs lined up one side of the field with faded bulls-eye markings painted on them. Beside the door was a box with packs of kunai. Iruka instructed us to take one as we shuffled out into the field.

We'd practiced kunai throwing before, it was a singular type of assessment back when we first joined the academy. One at a time, kids had been called up to throw three kunai while Iruka took note of our performance. If I had to guess, it was probably to figure out who needed to most work and how best to go about teaching us. I had to hand it to Iruka, he _did_ care about our education and development on a level I didn't expect.

As I stood with our class, Iruka begun to call out the names of pairs. To my amusement, Sasuke was paired with Naruto and I had to stifle a laugh that threatened to escape. Even as kids it seemed they couldn't get rid of each other.

“Why do I have to be paired with that bastard?!” Naruto yelled, arms crossed, and nose scrunched up as he scowled in Sasuke's direction.

“As if I want to work with you to begin with, idiot.” Sasuke shot back.

Naruto immediately demanded another partner, and Iruka shot down the request. Naruto sulked as he walked towards a log with an annoyed looking Sasuke.

“Sakura Haruno and Aiko Uchiha.” Iruka announced the next pair, and I blinked. I glanced around our group till I spied the familiar head of pink hair and made my way towards her.

“Alright Sakura, let's do our best.” I said when I was within earshot. The pinkette turned to me and smiled.

“Yea!” Sakura said and nodded. We stepped away from the group and off towards one of the training logs, stopping a few feet in front of it.

“Alright Sakura, do you want to go first?” I asked, gesturing to her kunai. Sakura's expression shifted and I watched as she laced her fingers in front of herself and looked at the ground.

“Y-you can go first, Aiko! I'm not that good.” She said, shifting from foot to foot. If I wasn't aware of the conversation, I'd think her nervousness cute.

“...Alright but you're going after.” I said, raising an eyebrow as she nodded. Good. We're not letting that talent go to waste.

I moved so that I was in front of the log, and pulled a kunai out. With a flick of my wrist it went sailing through the air, impaling into the log just a ring from being a bulls-eye.

“Wow Aiko! It was almost a bulls-eye!” Sakura said in awe. I glanced down the row of logs and spotted Sasuke hurling one of his own kunai just in time to see it hit the center. I frowned and withdrew another kunai, flicking my wrist in a slightly altered angle. The kunai impaled the target dead center.

“Aiko, do you practice kunai throwing at home?” Sakura asked curiously, drawing my attention to her as I threw another kunai.

“I do. Me and Sasuke practice with kunai and shuriken when we can't do anything else.” I said, and threw my fourth kunai towards the log. “Why?”

“I practice when I can but my parents can't really help me... I'm lucky if I can even hit the target.” Sakura murmured, blushing slightly.

As I threw my final kunai, I frowned. “Want me to help you, Sakura? I'm not that great but I can try and help you improve, that's the entire purpose of this exercise anyway.”

“You will?” She asked, voice laced with hope. I nodded.

“Of course, let me collect my kunai and you can try throwing yours and I’ll see if I can give you some tips.” Granted, I was no master but maybe I could help her just a little. Sasuke was better with kunai and shuriken than me, I think he just had natural talent for it though. I just needed more practice to keep up, and luckily being a clan kid gave me plenty of that.

After I collected my kunai, I watched as Sakura moved into the spot I’d been standing. She withdrew a kunai and took a moment to steady her breathing, eyes focused on the log, before throwing her kunai. My eyes attempted to follow it as it flew through the air and impaled in the upper section of the log, above the bulls-eye and off mark. Sakura's shoulders slumped as she saw how far off she was, but I smiled.

“You know, you say you're not that good but you are.” I said, stepping forward. “Pull out another kunai.” I instructed.

“You think I'm good?” Sakura asked skeptically, withdrawing another kunai and holding it while I adjusted her arm so it was at a lower angle and used my feet to nudge hers into a better stance.

“Yea. You know, back when I started training with kunai, I couldn't even hit the log.” I said, and nodded for her to attempt to throw again. I spotted Iruka watching us with a smile on his face. When I caught his eye, he nodded approvingly, before a shout from Naruto dragged his attention away.

“You couldn't?” Sakura asked, voice laced with surprise and her eyes widening. She looked back to the training log and threw her kunai. I watched as it impaled into the log, on the outermost ring of the bulls-eye.

“Ah! I hit it!” Sakura exclaimed excitedly, causing me to do a double take. I'd never heard her speak so loudly before. She turned her gaze to me, a broad smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. “I hit the bulls-eye this time with your help! Thank you!”

“Good job, Sakura!” Iruka called, making the pinkette's smile grow.

I wasn't sure why but I suddenly felt a warmth spread through me as she moved to throw her next kunai, returning to the same stance and position I'd instructed her into the time before.

I felt proud.

It reminded me of whenever Sasuke managed to progress further and achieve even more. He would eagerly report on his progress, eyes alight with joy and smiling ear to ear.

 _She's a good kid_ , I thought, and smiled. _If people were able to push her to try harder from the start, I wonder, how much stronger could she be?_

I was never a big fan of children in my past life. I didn't like to be around many of them at a time, nor did I ever plan to have my own. It wasn't like I ever fell in love to begin with for it to even be a possibility. I wasn't the type of person someone fell in love with.

The children here though, something was... _different_. Yes, they still played, still cried, and still had as much energy and curiosity as expected of children, but there was something else. At first I couldn't quite place it.

Then I noticed some kids more than others. The ones with a look in their eyes that made me want to hand them the world. The ones with that desire for recognition. The ones that had fire in their hearts and the tools to release it.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that most of the children I was exposed to were shinobi children, but there was a drive to them–a subtle sense of purpose that I wasn't sure I could find in my old world. Even the ones that didn't have some big goal seemed intent on thriving in some way, shape or form.

Or maybe I just forgot what it was like to be a kid.

“Aiko, you're really cool.” Sakura said, drawing my attention to her as she threw her last kunai. I watched as it hit the target one ring off from being a bulls-eye. _She's a quick learner_.

“I dunno, Sakura.” I said, shrugging as I smiled at her. “I think you're cooler.”

The pinkette flushed and looked to the ground. “You're really nice, Aiko...” Sakura started, pausing before speaking again. “How come you believe in me so much?”

I cocked my head to the side in thought, before smirking. “I can see the future.” I said, crossing my arms. Sakura blinked.

“Pfft.” My eyebrows rose as she begun to giggle. “Yeah right! I don't believe you.”

Ah, childish naiveté.

“Let's just call it a hunch then.” I said, pausing. “In fact, I think you would do great as a medical nin.”

“Medical nin?” Sakura repeated, and I nodded. She stared at me in thought, her brows slowly furrowing. “Maybe.”

That was all I needed. If only to at least let her consider it a bit early. Those skills would be good for the chūnin exams.

“Alright now everyone. We're going to rotate partners! One of the two must stay at their log while the other rotates to the right!” Iruka's voice called over the class. I glanced around and then to Sakura.

“I'll move. I hope your next partner is nice.” I told Sakura. She waved at me and turned her attention to her new partner, Hinata.

My new partner turned out to be Shikamaru. He was sitting on the ground and eyed me as I approached.

“Do you wanna go first?” I asked. Shikamaru shrugged.

“You go.” He replied, stretching as he stood back up. He lazily eyed me as I withdrew a kunai. _Well, alright than_.

I threw my kunai as before and watched it hit just outside the bulls-eye's center. When Shikamaru said nothing, I cast a curious glance his way and found him eying the training log intently. It was actually kind of funny given his childish face. I bit my lip as I smirked, pulling out another kunai from my pack.

I threw my second kunai. “You flick your wrist too soon. It throws your aim off by a small degree.” Shikamaru said, as if it were obvious. I blinked, turning to face him.

“I... flick my wrist too soon?” I asked, brows furrowing together as I withdrew my third kunai. _He noticed that just from two throws?_

“Try to have a little restraint and your aim should improve.” Shikamaru said lazily, sitting back onto the ground and glancing at the kunai in my hand. “Try again.”

I raised an eyebrow but did as instructed, more careful with my release timing and a slightly steadier wrist. The kunai managed to impact at the targets center. I felt my mouth slowly drop open a fraction as a quiet ' _eh?_ ' escaped my lips. That was seriously my issue? Something so easily fixable? I had begun to assume I was simply not meant to be a marksman.

“Thanks.” I murmured, still slightly distracted. “You wanna go now?” I asked, turning my gaze from the log and to Shikamaru who shrugged.

“Think I'll pass.” He said, throwing a glance in Iruka's direction before leaning back onto the ground, arms crossed behind his head.

“Oh... okay.” I said, withdrawing another kunai and nonchalantly turning it over in my hand. “It's good to practice you know.”

“I know.” Shikamaru affirmed, but didn't bother moving.

 _I guess some things never change even when you're a kid_ , I thought, and glanced around at everyone else in the class. Sasuke was now paired with Shino. Huh, I wonder how that's working out.

“You're odd.” Shikamaru said, drawing my attention back to him as he stared up at the sky. I raised an eyebrow. “You tell people you don't even know what they want or need to hear.”

“Is that bad?” I asked, frowning in confusion. Shikamaru shrugged, the motion slightly awkward from his spot on the ground.

“No, not bad. Just odd.” He paused before adding. “How'd you know not to say _**that**_ word in front of Chōji?”

“...Isn't it better if its not used at all?” I murmured, frowning. Was he... trying to _analyze_ me?

“I guess.” Shikamaru drawled. I stared at him for a brief moment, wondering if maybe he wanted to ask more but when nothing was said, I redirected my attention to my kunai.

The rest of class went by without much excitement. By the time I was paired with Sasuke, I felt as if I had improved so that my accuracy was at least on par if not slightly behind his. Needless to say, Sasuke was surprised. He even accused me of holding back during our training, much to my amusement.

Kunoichi class was rather boring. The lesson for the day was in the form of a lecture on Sunagakure–it's customs, local flora, climate, and what sorts of clothing styles could be found there. While interesting, it didn't change the fact that we were all sitting on the ground listening to someone talk for roughly an hour.

“Next time we will speak of Kirigakure.” Kimiko said, smiling as she waved us all off. “Look forward to it.” I waved back as I started to take my leave with the rest of the girls.

Kiri huh. I wonder, is Haku with Zabuza yet? I cant exactly remember when the swordsman defected much less how old Haku is, just that he's older than Naruto by comparison. Weren’t they apart of a rebel group trying to change Kiri or something? A second coup d'etat attempt.

Damn spotty memory.

“You seem deeply lost in thought.” Itachi said, his voice drawing my attention to him as he stood ahead with a few other parents at the academy's gate. I couldn't help but smile. He'd been away for a week, I had no idea he would be home today.

“Yea. Kimiko sensei said we would be learning about Kiri next time.” I replied, stepping forward and grabbing his offered free hand, my eyes briefly pausing on the small black box in his other.

“You're interested in Kiri?” Itachi asked, brows rising.

“Sort of.” I said, shrugging. “We learned about Suna today.”

“Oh? What did you learn?” Itachi asked, glancing down at me as we started walking.

“That I don't wanna go to Suna.” I said, voice deadpan as my thoughts drifted towards the scorpions that Kimiko had so _eagerly_ described. If she had a summon contract, I imagined it would be with the scorpions.

A light laugh escaped Itachi, causing me to smile. “It is beneficial to see the world though, Aiko.” He said, and I snorted.

“Do I get to take scorpion repellant?” I asked sarcastically before looking up at him. He slowly raised an eyebrow.

“You don't like scorpions?” He asked. I shook my head.

“No, I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole.” I grumbled, cringing at the thought. “Or spiders.”

“Than you can take scorpion and spider repellant.” Itachi said, seeming amused by my actions. “Though, I am uncertain if you will be able to find scorpion repellant within the village.”

I kind of expected that given how scorpions weren’t a big deal here. I frowned in thought, before my eyes drifted back to Itachi. “Hey, what's the box for?” I asked, leaning forward to see past him and gesture to his other hand. Itachi raised the box up for me to see.

“It's for you.” He said, as if it were obvious.

“Me? Why?” I asked, frowning.

“It's for your birthday.” Itachi murmured. “I wont be home for it. I'm sorry.”

 _Oh_ , I thought, staring at his expression as it turned somber. “You're going on a long mission?”

“Yes.” Itachi said. “Shisui should be returning within the next few days. He wanted me to inform you that he'll be resuming your training once he returns.”

 _Shisui_. Good, I'll tell him everything when that time comes.

“Here.” Itachi said, pausing in his steps as we came to a halt. He handed me the small black box. I carefully took it, noting how light it felt. It was as big as my small childish hand. I lifted the lid to find garnet stud earrings laid atop of a red ribbon.

“You mentioned wanting a red ribbon.” Itachi started, causing me to shift my gaze up towards him. “I wasn't sure if that alone would be a sufficient enough gift. The earrings were a suggestion from mom.”

My gaze returned to the earrings, and I suddenly felt oddly uncomfortable. Yes, they were beautiful, shiny, red. But they were garnet–my previous life's birthstone. How ironic to receive them as a birthday present. Was the universe trying to remind me of myself every chance it got? Did they even have birthstones in this world?

I really needed to let go of the little details. Who I once was wont help who I am now.

“They're really pretty. Thank you, Itachi!” I chirped, smiling back at him as I returned the lid onto the box. “Can mom pierce my ears for me?”

“She informed me that she could.” Itachi said, nodding.

“Great, I'll ask her to tonight.” I said, smiling. “Do you have any plans?” I asked, glancing back up at my older brother with interest.

“I will be taking Sasuke to visit Nekobaa tomorrow.” Itachi said. “It has been quite some time since I last took him with me. He still has to collect more paw prints, but he seems to enjoy it.”

Ah, Nekobaa. I'd only visited the woman twice, and I didn't want to impose on Sasuke and Itachi's game. I usually skipped out on the trips, letting them have their time together. I imagine once I 'm older, I would be making trips to visit her myself for supplies.

“Sasuke always gloats about his progress whenever he comes home.” I said, smirking. “He also gets a fair bit of scratches.”

“He always makes progress though.” Itachi said, smiling lightly to himself.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the one everyone's been waiting for and one I've been wanting to write for a while now honestly. This is also a double update, so that you all get to read it as soon as possible, so hope you all enjoy being spoiled. <3  
> Also happy early Halloween. *blasts spooky scary skeletons at max volume*  
> Fun fact : I base Aiko's negative traits, pessimistic outlook and worry-wort paranoia off myself with the rest of her personality being all her own for the most part.


	8. Chapter 8

“Aiko, your earrings are really pretty.” Sakura said as she sat with me and Ino on the grass. Whenever kunoichi classes rolled around, we always seemed to gravitate towards each other now. “Maybe I should pierce my ears...” She trailed off, one of her hands brushing over her right ear.

“You've worn them every day for the past week. Are they important?” Ino asked.

“Itachi got them for me.” I replied, smiling. They were still the only pair I owned, not that I really minded. I didn't wear the red ribbon yet, simply because Sakura still wore hers, and while mine was satin and hers was cloth, I didn't really want to copy her. Maybe I could tie it on my upper arm or wrist or something instead?

“Your older brother? Wow, you're lucky.” Ino mused, crossing her arms. I wonder, did Ino ever want a sibling?

“He said they were for my birthday since he wont be home.” I said, frowning slightly. I don't think Itachi is apart of anbu yet, and with what happened to his genin team, was he being shuffled into other teams? When did he join anbu anyway?

“Oh...” Ino murmured. “Well, at least you have Sasuke.” She added, seemingly perking up at the name.

“Yea.” I affirmed, smiling to myself. “I've got Sasuke.”

I was so caught up in living that I hadn't noticed at first, but Sasuke was slightly more... positive, compared to what he could have been. At first I wasn't sure what the difference was, but then it hit me–he has another sibling. Sure, he still latched onto Itachi, but he wasn't _alone_ when Itachi was gone.

“Are you gonna go home?” Sakura asked. I turned my gaze to meet her bright green eyes.

“Yea, unless Shisui is waiting for me.” I said, and cocked my head to the side. “Why? Did you want to do something?” I asked. Kunoichi class was drawing to a close. All we had to do was hand in our work sheet before leaving.

“O-oh, no, nothing. It's fine.” Sakura said, forcing on a smile. I raised an eyebrow at her before she continued. “Shisui is waiting for you today. I saw him at the gate with the other adults.”

“He is?” I asked, unable to keep the surprise from my voice. My arms suddenly felt like they were burning with adrenaline. _I can finally talk to him._

“You're training with him right?” Ino asked, and when I nodded she continued. “Geez, I think you and Sasuke train more than anyone else I know.”

“You should train more, Ino.” I chided, frowning when she scrunched up her nose.

“Don't I train enough? It's not like we're at war or something.” She countered, and I sighed.

“Come on Ino, do it for me, please?” I said. “I know you can be a really cool kunoichi too.”

“Eh? W-well...” Ino didn't seem to be expecting my persistence on the matter. Honestly though, if half of the rookie nine worked slightly harder from the start than maybe they could get the upper hand in the future.

“Why don't you study poison? You can be a really cool poison mistress! Or you can study medical ninjutsu with Sakura!” I suggested.

At my words, I noticed a glint in her eye as she took on a thoughtful look. “Huh, I never really considered those.” Ino murmured.

“Good. Consider them.” I said, and stood up with my worksheet in hand. “I'm gonna turn this in and go see Shisui. See you guys tomorrow!” I said, turning and waving back at them as I ran up to Kimiko, handing off my sheet a bit hastily while biding her goodbye and darting off towards the academy gates.

Shisui was standing at the gate just as Sakura had said. Upon spotting him, I felt all of the nervousness from the past few weeks bubble up to the surface. I shoved my anxiety to the side as I ran up to him. “Shisui! You're back!” I chirped stopping just in front of him. The older Uchiha smiled as he glanced down at me.

“I am. Have you been keeping up with training?” He asked, extending a hand that I took. He started leading us off, probably towards the woods we always trained at.

“I have. I can do body flicker a lot better now.” I announced. “I think I’ve gotten over the whiplash hurdle.”

“Good. We can start practicing with elevation than.” Shisui said, squeezing my hand as he smiled down at me. “You got your ears pierced?” He asked, eyes landing on my earrings.

“Yeah, Itachi got me earrings.” I said.

“Ah, he did say something about that.” Shisui mused. “For your birthday coming up, right?” He asked. I nodded in response.

A comfortable silence fell between us and my eyes drifted to our interlocked hands. My hand was small in his grasp, and his hand was reassuringly warm.

 _His chakra is like embers_ , I thought idly. I was no sensor. I could only really pick out signatures of those I knew well or those I was around often, otherwise everything gets lost to all the 'noise' of the rest of the world, especially in crowded areas. Maybe with training I could hone my sensor abilities, but it wasn't really high on my priority list.

“Shisui, can we go to your house?” I asked, glancing up to see his face. He blinked before looking down at me curiously. Understandable. I've never even been to his place, nor did I have any idea where he lived. Well, besides being in the Uchiha district.

“Why?” He asked.

 _Ah here we go_ , I thought, taking a deep breath.

“I want to talk.” I said. I watched as his expression shifted, eyebrows rising slightly before he turned his attention forward again.

“Alright.” He said, without another word.

He changed our course and lead me towards the Uchiha district, and we snaked through the streets until we came to a stop before a small building fit for one. It looked a lot like the rest of the homes, nothing really defining. I wasn't sure what I expected, given that Shisui wasn't home often to begin with.

He took a moment to unlock the front door while my eyes trailed from the windows to the roof and everything in between. Once the door was opened, he stepped in and held it open for me to follow before closing and locking it once more.

“We can talk at the kitchen table, I'll prepare tea.” Shisui said, moving past me and motioning for me to follow. I quickly took off my sandals, nearly tripping in the process, and trailed after him.

The entrance hall lead towards both the kitchen and living room, with the kitchen to the left and living room to the right. Two more doors lined the wall between the two, but were shut, not allowing me to see what laid beyond. Probably his bedroom and a bathroom.

The kitchen was small, with a single table lined with four chairs. The counters were spotless and the oven appeared as if it hadn't been used very often. Could Shisui cook? Or did he eat take out more? I hope he wasn't slacking on taking care of himself. He didn't have parental figures around, after all.

I pulled out one of the wooden chairs, the sound reverberating in the silence, and took a seat. Shisui stood by the oven, patiently waiting for the kettle to warm. His eyes trailed from the table and to me as I fidgeted in my seat from nerves. For a split second, my mind blanked of everything I wanted to say.

“So, is this about...?” Shisui prompted. I took a deep breath to calm myself. I didn't want to get cold feet again, not when I came this far. At the sight of my nervous state, Shisui's expression softened reassuringly.

“I can see the future.” I said simply.

Silence.

“...Are you sure?” Shisui asked, his face unreadable. I bit my lip.

“Yeah.” I said, nodding. “But I can only see _one_ future.”

“You can only see one future? What does that mean?” Shisui asked patiently. The kettle begun to whistle and he took it off the burner and started to prepare the teacups.

“The future I see is only one possible future.” I begun to explain. I had prepared myself for multiple questions, and hoped I could explain it in a way that he would understand. “The more things that are changed, the less likely I’ll be able to predict what will happen.” I said, before adding. “For example, saving someone who's meant to... d-die. That'll change things.”

“How much do you know?” Shisui questioned, setting one of the olive green teacups in front of me and taking a seat to my right. He was being incredibly... passive, I noted.

Ah, what could I say... something he would know that isn't public knowledge? “I know that Naruto Uzumaki is the jinchūriki of the nine tails, son of Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze.” Did he know about that? Most older ninja seemed to, even Itachi, but was it enough? “I know that the Uchiha are planning a coup d'état.” I added, scrambling for things to use as I felt my nervousness grow. “I know that there is an anbu division called root, run by Danzō, I know that there is–“

“Stop.” Shisui said, drawing my attention to him. He was staring me with a look of pure surprise, and just a hint of worry. “How long have you known these things?”

“Since... since the day I was born?” I offered. Some details I had retained more than others simply because they were more important. Sometimes I would lay in bed and rehearse the memories just to keep them vivid, fresh. “I knew I would probably meet you one day too.” I added, and took a careful sip of my tea.

“And you know about the coup d'état?” Shisui asked, and I nodded. “It actually manages to spiral into an issue?”

“It's not yet?” I asked skeptically. Shisui shook his head.

“I've heard whispers of it, but I was hopping that it wouldn't go farther.” He murmured, frowning.

“It's because of the growing tension following the nine tails attack, people think the Uchiha were involved.” I said, and bit my lip before I could add ' _and it sort of was an Uchiha_ '. “Getting relocated to the outskirts and isolated from the village with our own district, getting lumped with the Konoha police force...” I trailed off.

“Honestly, the tension's been around long before that, the nine tails attack was just the tipping point.” Shisui murmured, eyes narrowing as he looked deep in thought. “What happens to the clan?” He asks quietly.

I looked down at the tabletop, biting my lip. I was surprised I hadn't drawn blood yet. “Its...” I trailed off. “Not fine.” I stated.

Man was that an _understatement_.

“Not fine?” Shisui asked, looking at me critically. “What happens?”

_Bodies of clansmen piled in homes, caught unawares and killed on the spot. Blood trickling over corpses, spreading across the tatami mat and filling the air with the thick scent of copper. A small child is alone in a district far too quiet, running through the streets._

“Before we continue,” I started, swallowing the lump in my throat and trying to keep my voice as steady and serious as I could manage against my anxiety. “I need you to swear to me that what we discuss does not leave this room unless I say it can–nor can you act alone in changing the future.”

He stared at me for a long moment, and I briefly realized that I probably wasn't acting like a child, but I didn't care. I needed that security. Shisui took a deep breath, as if contemplating his options, before nodding. “Alright. I swear.”

“The clan is massacred.” I say. Shisui's grip on his teacup tightens and for a split second I wonder if it'll shatter. “You end up d-dying,” I begin, choking out the word like poison. “m-...mom and dad end up dying.” The words are oddly difficult to _actually_ say, as if they're a curse. I feel my breathing teeter off and become uneven as I imagine them piled on the floor, “The only survivors are Itachi and Sasuke.”

“ _All of them?_ ” Shisui whispers to himself, I glance up, noting the far off look in his eyes as his expression turns distraught. “And you?”

Ah, the tricky question.

“I don't exist.” I said, looking away from him and letting my gaze focus on my teacup. I swung my feet childishly below the table just to keep from tapping my own fingers on the tabletop.

“You don't exist?” Shisui repeats, brows furrowing. I nod in response.

“The future I see, it's one where I don't exist.” I explain. “I'm not in the visions.”

“So you can't see your own future?” Shisui asks, and I shrug. Sure, let him think of it like that.

“Let's start from the beginning with the important details first.” I said, pushing the conversation onward. “Oh also, whatever you do, do not trust Danzō Shimura.” I said, and watched as Shisui's expression shifted, his eyes narrowing as he regards me seriously.

“I never really trusted him to begin with. Why is he important?” Shisui asks, and I swallow and take another deep breath.

“He steals your right eye.” I begin, choosing my words carefully. “And then you... kill yourself.”

Silence. Again. I swallowed and took another sip of tea.

“Why?” Shisui asks, as if to himself.

“You eventually plan to use your mangekyō sharingan, kotoamatsukami, on my dad,” I say, before adding. “Fugaku, the clan head. Danzō feared you would eventually use it on him.”

Shisui turned his gaze back to mine. “I'd only consider that as a last resort, does that mean–“

“The clan was not willing to back down.” I started. “It _was_ the last resort.”

“Then how do Itachi and Sasuke survive?” Shisui questions. “What happened?”

I frowned. This entire conversation was turning into a clusterfuck of information and not at all as organized nor as linear as I planned. At least it seemed like Shisui was keeping up.

“... Danzō presents Itachi with a choice,” I begin carefully. “he can kill the clan himself, thus saving the village from facing any vengeful backlash, sparing his brother in the process, or die with it.” I watched as Shisui winced, his expression shifted from shock, then to something oddly brooding.

“...He used Sasuke.” Shisui whispered, his voice uncharacteristically icy.

“...Itachi chose Sasuke.” I said, my voice quiet. I had no doubt Itachi would do the same thing all over again if it meant saving Sasuke.

“When does this happen?” Shisui asked. I sighed as I ran a hand over my eyes, suddenly feeling tired. The worst of the hurdles were passed, at least, and he believed me.

“In about... three years?” I said, frowning. “It's shortly after your death, and when Itachi is an anbu captain.” I explained. “I think sometime in the coming months, Itachi will join anbu. You'll be ordered to spy on him, and eventually reveal the situation to the Third Hokage.” I said, and bit my lip. “I'm running out of time and I... I need help.” I confessed. “Shisui, you _need_ to survive.” I pleaded. “I want to save the clan.”

“...You've been dealing with all of this for five years?” Shisui asked, his expression sad as he looked at me. “You're only a child.”

“Yea.” I said, nodding. “From the moment I met you, I knew you were going to die.” I added, shifting in my seat. “I'm only five. I can't do anything.”

“You're doing something, Aiko.” Shisui said, a slight conviction in his voice, drawing my attention back to him. “You're _talking_.” He said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

“...Can we do anything about it though?” I whispered. “We can't _fight_ _Danzō_.” I added, frowning. “And the coup d'état... Can the clan _actually_ be saved?”

There was no way in fucking hell I would even survive against Danzō, at least not at the moment. If I wasn't so strung up by anxiety, I might of found the prospect of a five year old attempting assassination humorous, but I couldn't muster up a smile.

The coup d'état was something laced throughout the clan, an idea. How do you kill an idea? How do you repair damage that's been piling up over years?

“We're not going to fight Danzō.” Shisui said. I glanced back to find him taking a sip of his tea for the first time since we sat down. “We can't. And we can't use your knowledge to have him removed from his position either. He's an elder, and he has reach. We'd need proof to back any claim to his corruption, even if no one really likes him.”

“He has the sharingan.” I immediately said. “Isn't that a crime? Theft of a kekkei genkai?” I asked.

“...It is.” Shisui murmured thoughtfully. “Where did he get it?”

“...Orochimaru, I think? S-...Shin Uchiha?” _Little details_ , I thought. _So important yet I'm forgetting things_.

“It's something to consider.” Shisui said. “But we should focus on a way to preserve the clan first before we attempt to counter Danzō.”

“Do you have something in mind?” I asked, watching as Shisui leaned forward onto the table.

“I think we should speak with the Hokage.” He said after a short pause. I blinked owlishly at him.

“The Hokage?” I asked.

“The Hokage isn't the type to just let things escalate if he can help it.” Shisui started. “If we can convince him to believe you–which shouldn't be hard–maybe we can convince him to move the Uchiha district closer to the village.” Shisui suggested. “That doesn’t fix the issue of our reputation with the village itself, however.”

“What about the Konoha police force?” I asked. “Instead of being comprised of mainly Uchiha, why not include others outside of the Uchiha clan?”

“We can suggest that too.” Shisui said, nodding. “The issue then would be getting any of this passed. The elders will probably have a say in the matter, and Danzō _is_ one of them.”

 _Mother fucker_ , I thought, scowling. I unconsciously placed an elbow on the table, and leaned my head into my hand as I bit my lip.

“We absolutely cannot let Danzō know that I know the future.” I said, voice deadly serious. Shisui nodded.

“Of course.” He said. “When I speak with the Hokage, I'll make that as clear as I can.”

“A private summons.” I suggested. “Make it an undocumented S-rank secret or something...”

“Aiko?” Shisui asked, drawing me from my thoughts as my gaze flickered to him. “Is this why you always looked uncomfortable at times?”

“Uncomfortable?” I asked.

“Around Itachi. Or other times when you would go quiet.” He asked, worry apparent on his face.

“...Yea.” I murmured, looking away guiltily. “I love Itachi, I do.” I said, nodding as if to assure myself of that fact. “But when you know what could happen... it's _scary_.” I whispered.

One of the first things I worried about when being reborn into this world was dying, and one of those ways was by Itachi's hand because of the massacre, much to my shame. I didn't want to die like that, and I didn't want Itachi to have to do it all over again. Maybe I was just being selfish, but I didn't want him to have to carry that kind of burden.

“How far do your visions go?” Shisui asked, and I frowned. How do I put it into perspective? I wasn't really sure about the specific amount of years.

“... Years, I know who the sixth, and seventh Hokage will be.” I murmured. “I also know some of the past.” Shisui blinked at me.

“I don't want to know.” Shisui said simply. “If it isn't something that can be changed for the better, I don't want to know. Not unless it's important.”

My thoughts flickered to the Third Hokage, killed by Orochimaru during Naruto's chūnin exams, subsequently leading to Tsunade taking up the hat. Could I prevent that? Did I _want_ to? Tsunade was an important figure... Maybe if the Third survives and I somehow convince him to pass the hat onto Tsunade?

Then there was Tobi, _Obito_. Was there any point in bringing him up this early? He did help Itachi during the Uchiha massacre, but if there was no massacre, what would he do? Nothing? No... he still harbored hate for the clan and the village at this point, right? Would he try to kill us all himself? And there was a possibility he was still loitering around Naka Shrine... The thought of him being nearby caused my skin to crawl. In a way it was rather funny. I liked his character when this was all just a story, but now? I don't know.

I wonder...was it possible to save Obito too?

“You're doing it again.” Shisui mused. “And now that I know whats going on in your head, I have half a mind to distract you.”

“How come you believe me so readily?” I questioned, turning my gaze back to Shisui. He sighed deeply and leaned back in his seat.

“You don't strike me as the type who would lie about something like this.” Shisui started. “You're not a very good liar to begin with. I could tell you were lying whenever you said you were fine.” He said, slowly frowning. “You remind me of Itachi when he was five, too old for his age. You're a little more...despondent–like you've already witnessed the cruelty of the world.”

“I know what to expect.” I said.

Shisui looked at me, eyes filled with sympathy.

“You shouldn't have to.”

I turned my gaze away from him and shamefully looked at my teacup.

I suddenly felt very small.

“Aiko.” Shisui said, pulling me from my thoughts once again. “I think we should up your training.”

“Up my training?” I asked.

“When I meet with the Hokage, I'll request to be allowed to remain within the village in order to train you.” He said. “And only be sent on missions of utmost importance.”

“Why?” I asked. “I mean, I'm glad about receiving more training, but aren't your missions more important?”

“There are plenty of other able-bodied shinobi to fill in for me.” Shisui started. “And because you need to be able to protect yourself as soon as possible.” Shisui added, frowning. “I'm going to look into protection and privacy seals for the house. Maybe some for your room?” He suggested. I nodded vigorously.

“Sounds perfect. You know how to create seals?” I questioned. Shisui shook his head.

“Only the basic storage and explosive seals. I was going to request them from the Hokage since he uses them on his own home and within his office.” Shisui explained.

“Can you teach me how to make explosive seals?” I asked curiously.

Shisui slowly smiled. “We'll do one thing at a time, besides, you'd need to learn calligraphy if you planned to learn how to create seals.” He said, and then snorted. “I've seen your hand writing too, and I think you'd be better off buying premade seals.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “It can't be that hard.” I said.

Shisui seemed amused by my expression as he propped an elbow on the table and raised an eyebrow. “If it's defective, it will explode.”

My expression wavered. “...Maybe premade is best.” I murmured.

Silence fell between us once again, but this time it lacked the tension that the previous times had.

_I did it._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shisui, partner in crime (partner in time?) is now apart of team #FixIt as I am now dubbing them. ;D
> 
> Special thanks to CloeGryffindor, aprill101, Orlha, and Tiam for the comments as well as the 20 bookmarks <3
> 
> I reread this like five times so hopefully there are no errors.  
> There will be more events taking place as well as a few small couple month-long time skips just to keep things rolling. Honestly the story starts out generally slow moving cause Aikos a kid and developing ties and cant do bs things off the bat but once we get closer to graduation, stuff will be >moving<.
> 
> Fun fact : The story file has reached 88 pages. I make it a personal goal to have chapters reach 10 pages or more. Guess you could call it my self-set chapter quota.


	9. Chapter 9

A week went by.

I'm six years old and there are roughly two years left until the Uchiha massacre.

Mine and Sasuke's birthday managed to come and go. We celebrated yesterday, with just mom and Shisui. Dad was busy with the Police Force and Itachi was out of the village. Sometimes other Uchiha dropped by, but only briefly. I kept my promise to Chōji and gave him a piece of cake when I arrived at the academy this morning. Ino and Sakura presented us with flowers the day before.

I didn't really mind the fact that there weren’t a lot of people around for our birthday. I didn't care much for my birthday to begin with. When we were babies, I could recall the balloons scattered around and a banner hung up above our heads as well as brightly colored cake along with adults that mom and dad seemed to know who would coo at us like kittens. I didn't like them, much less the attention. I much preferred our tiny little get together over all the unwanted attention previous birthdays brought.

But Sasuke seemed troubled, I noticed. He looked disheartened and dejected, eyes snapping towards the front door whenever it was opened, only for his expression to melt into disappointment when it was only Shisui or mom returning after stepping out for a bit. It was a little heartbreaking, even for me.

I made sure not to leave him alone the whole day, and if he ever asked why Itachi couldn't be home, I told him that he was away, being an awesome shinobi who would return with new skills to teach him.

He didn't seem convinced but he at least perked up a little.

I hadn't been very nervous the whole day compared to usual. After confessing my situation to Shisui days prior, I felt oddly at peace. Like I could breathe. Like I had a chance.

But then I decided to ask mom why no one could visit us, because Sasuke could benefit from the company. Even our last birthday at least had one or two visitors from outside of the district.

“ _Well, everyone is very busy, Aiko._ ” She had said, running a hand through my hair as she crouched in front of me. “ _The Uchiha district isn't very close to the village, and not many come here anymore since it's so out of the way_.” A look passed across her face, the faintest glimmer of apprehension. I paled at her words and she immediately checked for a fever, commenting that maybe I should sit down for a bit while she retrieved a glass of water, unaware that I was stricken with horror.

The village really was isolating us. I hadn't really noticed it so obviously before, but few people who _weren’t_ Uchiha could be found in the Uchiha district.

There used to be quite a few visitors, friends, comrades. When I was still too small to be left to wander on my own and carried by our mom, I remembered the various groups that would be lingering about in the street. The ones that would leap from roof to roof and laugh and play together before bidding each other farewell. The ones that weren’t branded by the Uchiha fan or Police Force.

With a cold realization, I noted that it was quieter.

Gradual change, things that didn't change overnight, were harder to notice unless you were consciously looking for them. I wasn't a social butterfly or one who liked company, so I didn't notice anything wrong.

With my sudden realization, I couldn't help but wonder, was this why on the night of the Uchiha massacre, no one heard a thing or investigated until it was too late? The district _is_ on the outskirts of the village, but...

Was it because they didn't want to?

“Aiko, are you okay?” Ino asked. I glanced at her as we made our way towards the academy gates. Her blue eyes were filled with worry, while Sakura appeared mildly concerned. Kunoichi classes were over. The day had passed in a muted blink.

“I'm fine, Ino.” I said, nodding. Ino didn't seem convinced, her brows furrowing as if considering something.

“You don't seem fine but alright. You can talk to me about anything, you know that right?” Ino said, smiling at me in a reassuring manner as she leaned forward to get a better look at my face.

Ah, the Yamanaka's, able to pick up on all kinds of things, especially mental. She probably learned some tells from Inoichi. “I know. Thank you, Ino.” I said, smiling back at her.

“Aiko, Shisui's here again.” Sakura noted. I glanced up and spotted Shisui standing off to the side, arms crossed as he leaned against a tree. As soon as our eyes met, he smiled and waved at our small group.

“I'll see you guys tomorrow.” I said, waving at them as I walked up to Shisui who's gaze turned towards me.

“We wont be training today.” Shisui said as he extended a hand as he always did. I took hold of it and he started leading us back towards the Hokage tower.

“You already managed to set up a meeting?” I asked, unable to keep the awe from my voice.

“I did.” Shisui said. “It took a little bit of time but he's willing to speak with us under the conditions I requested.”

I was quiet as I looked up at the building we were approaching, red and towering. I'd only met the Third Hokage once, and it was during the opening ceremony, and that wasn't really even a proper meeting. He was old and seemed wise and from what I could recall of the series itself when it was all just a story, he was willing to protect the village with his life.

Didn't change the fact that he didn't try harder to protect my clan or my family.

“Are you nervous?” Shisui questioned. I glanced up at him as he smiled back at me. “You've been squeezing my hand for a while now.”

“O-oh. Sorry.” I murmured, relaxing my muscles but still feeling tense.

“You don't have to worry. The Hokage is a nice man.” Shisui said reassuringly. I resisted the urge to laugh at both the child-friendly reassurance as well as the statement.

“I know.” I said, rolling my eyes. Shisui raised an eyebrow before realization flashed across his face and he sighed.

“Of course you do.” He murmured. I let out a snort.

We entered the building and my hand tightened around Shisui's again. I had an impending sense of dread and I wasn't quite sure _why_.

The halls weren't bustling with activity but there were quite a few people standing around, be it waiting outside of rooms, delivering documents, or conversing quietly in groups as they traversed through the building. Nearly every one of them had a flak jacket and headband. Some that I didn't recognize greeted Shisui as we passed them and others gave us peculiar glances.

The closer we got towards the Hokage's office, the more shinobi I saw.

One in particular stood out. His hands were in his pockets and a cigarette was between his lips, leaving a faint trail of smoke as he walked. His short black hair stood upright, was spiky, and a small black beard lined his face. His brown eyes briefly shifted from Shisui and then to me before facing forward once again, passing us without a word.

 _Asuma,_ I thought, feeling my heart leap at the realization, then sink. _Hidan kills him_.

“Know him?” Shisui whispered. I looked back up to see that he wasn't looking at me, eyes still trained forward.

“I know of him.” I murmured. “Asuma Sarutobi, the Third Hokage's son, right?”

“Right.” Shisui said, nodding.

After a few more minutes, we arrived at the Hokage's office. The door was shut and Shisui glanced at me to make sure I was ready. I nodded, and he proceeded to knock on the door. The sound of his knuckles tapping against the wood sounded loud in the quiet hallway, and after a few moments, the door opened. I was met with the sight of a man perhaps around the same age as the Third Hokage himself, with an arm wrapped up from sight and an eye covered by bandages.

Danzō Shimura stared back at us with a single calculating eye.

I felt every single inch of my body freeze and tense. I was sure I was gripping Shisui's hand far too tightly. I bit my lip to keep from gasping in shock, the air locked up in my lungs as I held my breath–as if it would make me invisible.

 _No I'm not going to cause a scene_ , I thought, trying to shift my expression into a more neutral one, but found the process difficult. Beside me, Shisui managed to get out a pleasant greeting and bowed slightly towards the older man.

Danzō however didn't seem to even care that we were there, giving us the briefest of glares before stepping past us and moving down the hall, the clacking of his cane on the floor the only signal that he was still moving.

The door to the Hokage's office was still open, and I could see Hiruzen sitting behind his large wooden desk that I could just barely see over, with a smoking pipe in his mouth and fingers laced as he patiently waited for us to enter. The Hokage hat sat atop his head and gave his face an intimidating shadow.

Shisui started forward and I nearly tripped over my own feet, legs still locked up and frozen. I managed to upright myself and we made our way into the Hokage's office. Shisui closed the door behind us with a quiet _click_ of finality.

The Third Hokage eyed me as Shisui came to stand to my right. No longer holding Shisui's hand, I found that mine had traveled to the hem of my shirt and fisted into the cloth.

“Are you alright?” The Third asked, eyes still resting on me. “You look rather pale.”

“Just a little surprised.” I murmured. I turned my eyes to the floor and shifted from foot to foot.

“Well than,” The Third started. “Shisui, what is this matter you wished to discuss? You were quite clear that it was of the utmost importance and required s-rank care.” The Third's eyes shifted to me. “And why have you brought a child along for this meeting?”

“She _is_ the matter that requires s-rank care, Hokage.” Shisui stated.

“...Are all of the privacy and protection seals of this room trustworthy?” I asked, glancing around nervously. I could see a few plastered around the windows and on the walls, all with different markings that didn't make much sense to me given how I wasn't studying seals. The closer I looked, I could just make out a faint glow to them.

“Of course.” The Third said, raising an eyebrow. “If I may ask, child, who are you?”

Shisui glanced at me and I took a small step forward. “M-my name is Aiko Uchiha.” I introduced myself, giving a polite bow as I continued. “I am the twin sister of Sasuke Uchiha, younger sister to Itachi Uchiha, and daughter to Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha.” I said, taking a deep breath. I don't think I’ve ever said _Uchiha_ that much in a single breath in quite some time. “I... I can... I know the future.” I whispered, voice teetering off slightly. The Third's face remained unreadable as he eyed me.

_Was this really going to change anything?_

“She explained her ability to me a few days ago,” Shisui started, drawing the Third's attention to him. “It seems that she can see a future.”

The Third was quiet as he processed this information. “Do you mean to tell me–” The Third started, removing his pipe from his lips and setting it aside. “–that the daughter of the Uchiha clan head can foresee the future? Is that what this is about?”

“ _A_ future.” I clarified quietly. When the old mans eyes returned to me, I nervously laced my fingers in front of myself.

“It is a bold claim to make.” The Third said, leaning forward. “I'm going to need to hear an explanation, Shisui.”

Shisui took the liberty of retelling my explanation for me, while the Third listened with intense interest. By the end of the explanation, he raised a hand up and ran it across his face as he let out a deep sigh. He stood up from his desk and rounded it so he stood in front of us, arms crossed behind his back.

“Are you sure her information is trustworthy?” He asked Shisui, who nodded.

“She knows things she couldn't possibly know otherwise.” Shisui said, and glanced at me. “I believe her.”

“I can... give some examples?” I suggested. The Third nodded.

“Please do.” He said, to which I took another deep breath. _Here we go._ _ **Again**_ _._

“Naruto Uzumaki is the jinchūriki of the nine tails, son of Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage.” I started, and then shifted gears to more random specific details. “Minato had a team consisting of Rin... N-nohara, Obito Uchiha, and Kakashi Hatake. Kakashi is the only survivor.” I paused. “Kakashi is a member of anbu... You caught Orochimaru, your previous student performing human experimentation... Anko has Orochimaru's curse mark...” I took a moment to catch my breath. “Should I say more? That's all past stuff though.”

The Third was staring at me with slightly raised eyebrows, so I assumed that I managed to prove myself. Good. I tended to ramble or blank when put on the spot.

The next thing I knew, the Third was patting me on the head as he sighed.

“Shisui, does anyone else know?” The Third asked, turning his gaze to Shisui who shook his head.

“I only told Shisui.” I provided, regaining the Third's attention. He nodded slowly.

“Good.” The Third begun. “How accurate are your visions of the future, Aiko?”

“As Shisui explained, I can only see one future, therefore the more things that are changed, the less likely I can predict what will happen. I know a few details from the past too.” I started. “However, a major event will happen in roughly two years.”

“What sort of major event?” The Third asked, frowning.

“...The Uchiha clan will be massacred.” I said quietly. “I want to save the clan.”

I wasn't sure how but in the span of seconds, the Third managed to look even older. He took in a deep breath as he closed his eyes. “I have a feeling I can already guess as to why.”

“You... you _already_ know about the coup d'état?” I asked skeptically. The Third shook his head.

“No but with how things are progressing, I was afraid something would eventually happen.” The Third explained. I scowled.

“If you know things are bad, why aren't you trying to _fix it_?” I asked, unable to keep the accusatory edge out of my tone.

The Third opened his eyes and focused them on me as he spoke. “Even as the Hokage, I have my limits. I cannot change the way the village reacts to a large scale event, especially one so negatively impactful as the nine tails attack.” The Third explained, sighing. “The Uchiha clan have been experiencing friction since before that, dating back to the struggles with the Senju clan.”

I frowned as I thought over his words. If he knew that the Uchiha were experiencing friction, why did he agree for the clan to be moved to the outskirts of the village? Did the council elders pressure him into it? I wouldn't really put it past Danzō.

“We can still try, though.” I said, frowning. “Extend an olive branch.”

“Do you have something in mind?” The Third asked, regarding me with curious interest. “You are a child, but speak your thoughts.”

If it were any of the elders apart of the village's council, I would probably not even be given a moments consideration much less the opportunity to speak up with suggestions regarding the village and the Uchiha clan just for the fact that I was a child. The Third seemed open to hearing what I had to say however. Maybe he was convinced that I might be able to suggest things because of my foreknowledge? Either way, I was grateful for being given a chance.

“The Uchiha clan feels like they're not apart of the village, right? So, include them. Relocate the district closer.” I suggested. The Third sighed.

“Relocating an entire clan will take time and will require clearing a space for them to settle into. Depending on the location, construction may be required.” The Third started, frowning. “How will that look to the rest of the village?” He asked, and my brows furrowed at the rhetorical question. “It will appear as if the Uchiha are trying to force their way back in, especially if the move displaces other villagers.”

I scowled at his reasoning but remained quiet.

“What about the Police Force?” Shisui asked, gaining the Thirds attention. “Allow it to recruit more members outside of the Uchiha clan?”

“I can see about allowing that.” The Third murmured, turning back to his desk and picking up his pipe, replacing it between his lips before turning back to us. “Tell me, Aiko, do you believe there is a way for this to end without bloodshed?”

“If we start trying to repair the ties between the village and the Uchiha _now_ , I think so.” I said, frowning. The handling of the issue before had been... undesirable. It was messy and there were so many other things that could have been done.

The Uchiha are very prideful however, it might be difficult... My father would at least try to compromise, wouldn't he?

The clan or the village? Which was more important at the end of the day?

To most Uchiha, it was the clan.

“I will see about strengthening ties with the Uchiha during clan meetings while Fugaku is present.” The Third said, letting out a puff of smoke as he closed his eyes in thought. “Aiko, I would like you to refrain from mentioning this to anyone. Not your fellow academy students and teachers nor anyone else within the village.” He said, opening his eyes and staring down at me. “Consider it concern from an old man regarding your safety. The issues you have brought forward are things I would not wish a child to be burdened with, however I can not simply take away your gift.”

I nodded before speaking up. “I don't want any physical documentation about my foreknowledge, please.” I said, frowning nervously. The Third raised an eyebrow. “...I don't think I need to explain why. If anyone with bad intentions decides to use whatever information I provide, well... I would rather avoid that. I'm sure you can understand, especially with someone like Danzō nearby.”

I had no doubt that no matter how secure a file was, Danzō would find some way to get into it or steal it.

“Danzō? Why him specifically?” The Third asked, frowning.

“He's the reason the Uchiha massacre happens.” I explain, scowling as I recalled seeing him not even half an hour prior. A shiver runs down my spine. The Third's frown deepens.

“I see.” He murmured, taking another puff from his pipe. “I am disappointed to hear that.”

For some reason, his words felt hollow to me. If I had to guess, he probably wasn't surprised.

“I know he's your friend but even you should see that his methods are out of line.” I murmured. The Third sighed, but nodded.

“Danzō puts the village before all else. I suspected that he was slowly falling, but I cannot remove him from his position as an elder without just cause.” The Third said, more so to himself than us. “I am sure you are aware of that.”

 _But he tried to assassinate you once, didn't he?_ I thought, scowling. _Shouldn't that be a good enough reason to get rid of him?_

_...Hiruzen kept that assassination attempt a secret though, if I recall._

I frowned and bit my lip, nodding. I hated it.

 _I guess politics and status no matter what world you land in would be just as frustrating_ , I thought dryly.

“Hokage... if it's possible, I would like to be taken off of the mission roster temporarily.” Shisui begun, causing the Third to raise an eyebrow. “I will still take missions within the land of fire and work with the Police Force and anbu, but I would like to remain in the village to train Aiko and help contain the issue of the coup.”

“You wish to be Aiko's mentor?” The Third asked.

“Yes.” Shisui said. “I've been assisting her with her training when possible. However given recent events, I would like to focus more on her training to ensure she's able to defend herself. This ability will make her a target, should word get out.” Shisui started seriously, frowning. “She's a natural with the body flicker technique, and she's spoken of wanting to learn more stealth skills and I believe she'll be learning the fireball jutsu soon. I can help her progress faster.”

The Third seemed to contemplate his words as he glanced at me. “Granted. I'll see to it that you will only be summoned for matters pertaining to this or of equal or greater importance.”

“Thank you.” Shisui said, bowing slightly. “I would also like to request protection and privacy seals for both my home and her room.”

The Third wordlessly stepped back around his desk and reached to one of the desks drawers out of my line of sight and withdrew two small stacks of rectangular slips of paper. “Be careful where you place them.” He said, nodding towards Shisui who stepped forward to retrieve them.

“Of course.” Shisui said. “I'll help Aiko with placing them in her room.”

The Third nodded and turned his gaze towards me. “Per your request, this shall not be documented. Any matter regarding your visions are to be brought directly to me either by you yourself or by Shisui in your stead.” The Third said. I nodded and he continued. “You are young but I will trust in your judgment as to what knowledge needs to be shared and dealt with. However, I must urge you to not act alone. Consult with Shisui frequently. Time is a delicate thing and destiny, even more so. I am sorry that you must carry such a burden at your age.” The Third said, frowning sadly at me.

I suddenly felt pressured. My chest constricted and I bit my lip. I was already pressured for time before, but now it felt more like a pressure from status.

I'm known now, and things will be expected of me.

I frowned as I stared back at the Third who looked at me with sad eyes.

“I hope you come through for us.” I murmured, frowning slightly. The Third had plenty of chances in the original time line to try and mend the bonds between the Uchiha and the village. He did, but nothing was fixed. The only difference this time around is that he knows what to expect and that he knows a bit earlier.

_My clan is on the line._

_My family._

The Third stepped around his desk to stand in front of us, placing a hand on my shoulder and nodding.

“I will try, Aiko.” The Third said, his expression was intense, before shifting into a soft smile. “Thank you for bringing this information to me. Could you step out into the hall while I speak with Shisui?”

I frowned in confusion but did as I was told.

I waited outside of the office in the hall for an unknown amount of time. I was a little upset at being excluded, but I was also relieved that this was another hurdle down. Progress, albeit only the start of any. I'd have to ask Shisui what he talked about with the Hokage later.

After a short while longer, Shisui stepped out. The Third Hokage gave me another pat on the head and waved us off. Shisui lead me back home and once we arrived, he helped in placing the seals around my room, in corners that were out of sight and around my window, just behind the curtains. I was pretty sure my mom and dad would both notice them eventually, probably right away actually, but I'd think of an excuse and deal with it when it happens.

“You don't seem to really have much faith in the Hokage being able to save the clan.” Shisui noted, speaking up after placing the last seal on the back of my beds headboard.

“After the way he handles it in the... _visions_ , I'm a little doubtful.” I admitted, frowning. Yes, Hiruzen did try to compromise, but things just didn't go well. “He said it himself, there's only so much he can do as Hokage.”

Warning him was just a small step forward. If anything, having the Hokage know at least made him an asset.

“It's not bad to doubt him.” Shisui said, surprising me as I looked back to him as he stood by my bedroom window with his arms crossed. “We also can't rely on him to fix everything.”

In other words, we needed backup plans.

“Right.” I said, nodding.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how to feel about this chapter. What I originally had planned, I scrapped and completely rewrote and shifted some scenes around in my notes. I'm still not 100% satisfied with it but I'm at least okay with it enough now that I'm willing to share it. It's over, it's done. I'll never have to deal with it again. On a side note though, I feel like I should put a 'slow start/slow buildup' tag on the fic LOL  
> Hopefully you all like it though.
> 
> Special thanks to : QueenOfMayhem, matchynishi, Wecantgiggleitsacrimescene, aprill101, CloeGryffindor, Samestclasse, Tiam, and donstehly2 for all of your comments so far <3  
> @ CloeGryffindor ; After I read your comment, I sat here pondering SakuraxAiko (AiSaku? SakuKo?) for like 10 minutes... my imagination wandered to the future and it was cute as fuck so I ship it (don't take this as a confirmation that it'll happen in the fic, since they're five and romance isn't the focus, I'm just a multi-shipper ;w;)
> 
> Fun fact : I really like the Blue Bird OP from Naruto Shippuden and if 'What it means to be Uchiha' had an opening I think Blue Bird would be the song I'd pick.  
> 


	10. Chapter 10

Days trickled into weeks. I was never summoned to the Hokage's office again, much to my relief and slight worry. True to his word, Shisui trained me every other day, even inviting Sasuke along if Itachi wasn't home. We fell into a comfortable rhythm. Sasuke managed to get in more training and I managed to improve considerably from one on one training that I only ever got before on occasion.

I felt as if I was taking up too much of Shisui's time, though. When I asked him why he wanted to train me, he said it was to ensure that I could defend myself–like usual–as well as saying that in a way, keeping me safe was keeping the village and clan safe.

It was his duty.

“Pass.” Iruka said, nodding at the clone that Sasuke seamlessly created after the swift execution of the ram, snake, and tiger hand seals. “Good job, Sasuke.” He added, smiling pleasantly as he scratched his pencil on his clipboard.

Today we were being tested on our performance and execution of the clone jutsu. It had been a week since we were initially taught it, and Iruka wanted to check our progress. Sasuke of course spent majority of his free time at home mastering it to ensure he kept his place at the top of the class, and since we were in the same class, he dragged me into his daily practicing until I managed to master it just as well as him.

Sasuke stepped away from the line of students at the front of the class and returned to his seat, a smug smirk on his face as he held his chin high.

 _Showoff_ , I thought teasingly and rolled my eyes.

“A little more practice and your clone should be perfect, Kiba.” Iruka said, and I cast my attention down the line curiously. The Inuzuka stood beside a clone that was nearly the same, except they had noticeably paler skin and slightly longer arms. He gave a frustrated mumble before the clone poofed out of existence and Kiba stalked back to his seat.

Sakura was next and managed to perform well enough that I didn't spot any abnormalities in her clone. Ino's had slightly longer hair and Shino's was too tall. Shikamaru's was clear and so was Hinata's. Chōji's was surprisingly passable as well, perhaps he got assistance from Shikamaru?

“Alright Aiko, your turn. You can began whenever you're ready.” Iruka said, smiling warmly at me as he waited.

I raised my hands up and performed the ram, snake and tiger seals in quick succession. I felt my chakra subtly shift beneath my skin as a puff of smoke appeared beside me, gradually dissipating and revealing an identical clone to myself.

The clone jutsu, unlike the shadow clone jutsu, created intangible clones that lacked substance. I wasn't sure if I would ever use the technique, but I wasn't going to complain about having more skills in my arsenal.

The biggest hurdle in learning it had been familiarizing myself with my appearance. It was no secret among my family that I didn't like looking at myself, but it was something no one really touched on. Mom would frequently make comments that I'm very pretty for my age or that I took after her more than dad. Itachi's gifts were usually cosmetic, to my mild surprise.

I stared at my reflection and trained the entire time while staring at myself. I familiarized myself with my pale skin and childish face. I made mental notes on how my hair fell and at what length it stopped. I stared at my dark onyx eyes until I was sure I saw no other color.

The first clone I made while training didn't have blue-tinted black hair.

“Pass. Good job, Aiko!” Iruka said, scratching whatever score it was he gave me onto his clipboard. I cast a glance at my clone just as it dispersed.

I dragged myself back to my seat beside Hinata and Sasuke.

“The dead last is next.” Sasuke said. I looked to the front of the classroom and sure enough, Naruto was the next one up in the line.

“Alright, here we go!” Naruto shouted, grinning from ear to ear foxily and performing the hand seals and waiting. There was a puff of smoke as a clone was manifested, but it was far too close to the ground. I bit my lip at the sight of a color-less naruto scrunched up on the floor with an arm bent at an inhuman angle and legs that didn't seem to work. Even the eyes were lifeless and white like a blank canvas.

“Oh, Naruto...” I heard Hinata murmur beside me. Iruka let out a sigh as others in the class begun to laugh and chuckle at the display. Sure, there were those who made mistakes, but then there was Naruto's clone.

It wasn't even standing up and it was _stark white_.

I would be lying if I said I didn't laugh a little bit, but the chuckle died in my throat as quickly as it started at the sight of Naruto's face, red with frustration and embarrassment. Iruka scratched something onto his clipboard before saying something to Naruto that I couldn't hear. The small blond boy trudged back to his seat, eyes glaring holes into the floor as he went.

“He's awful.” Sasuke said. I looked back to find him smirking as he looked across our desk and to Naruto across the isle.

“He needs help.” I said, frowning.

Sasuke's brows furrowed as he stared at me. “Are you... actually thinking of helping _him_?” He asked, then frowned.

“...Yea.” I murmured. “Maybe we can train together.”

“Training with him wont help us.” Sasuke said, scowling and leaning onto his hand as he turned his attention out the window. “Just leave dead last alone.”

“You know, Sasuke, he could be your teammate someday.” I chided, narrowing my eyes.

“There's no way I would ever end up on a team with someone like him.” Sasuke said, scrunching up his face at the thought.

I frowned at Sasuke's open opposition to the idea of even training with Naruto, before I turned my attention to Hinata, the friendly desk partner that was practically the polar opposite of Sasuke. “Hinata, would you be interested in training with me and Naruto?”

Hinata looked at me with wide eyes. “T-training? With you and... N-naruto?” A very faint blush bloomed on her cheeks.

“Yea. I'll have to ask our mom if you guys can come over but it shouldn't he an issue. Maybe we can study together too?” I suggested.

Hinata flushed further and pulled her hands up to her chest as she tapped her index fingers together nervously. “I-I'll ask if I can.” Hinata murmured.

Well, that was good enough for me. Despite sitting beside Hinata all this time, I rarely spoke with her. She was quiet and extremely polite, more so than all of the other kids in the class. It wasn't that I didn't _want_ to talk to her, just that I didn't know what to talk _about_. Maybe this could be our starting point. Plus, Naruto was involved.

Or would be. I just had to ask him.

The rest of the class was sorted through for the clone jutsu test and next came sparring. We were once again led out to a practice field where Iruka stood in front of all of us, clipboard still in hand. Huh... now that I thought about it, was this like a midterm exam? A progress report?

Iruka begun to call out the names of the matches that would be done, and to my surprise, I was pit against Ino.

I wasn't sure how match ups were decided specifically, but Ino wasn't the best in taijutsu. In fact, she needed a lot of work. In mere moments I managed to have her on the ground, fist mere centimeters from her face and a knee pressed to her midsection. Her eyes were wide with shock and when I helped her to her feet, her face was pink with embarrassment, before she quickly shifted back to her usual self and congratulated me on winning.

For some reason though, I felt like a bully.

The rest of the matches went by in a similar fashion, fast and lasting under two minutes, sometimes even one.

That was the thing about fighting, it was over in a blink. If I didn't have training, I doubted my reaction time would be as decent as it is now, and it still needed to be _better_. We were a bunch of kids and I was pretty sure if I was facing an experienced shinobi, I wouldn't even last ten seconds.

Shisui had yet to spar seriously against me, and I was pretty sure I knew why. I wasn't like Itachi, I wouldn't be able to dodge and block majority of his attacks.

As our classmates sparred, I crossed my arms and thought over whether I could invite any others over to train and study.

“ _There are clan heirs in your class, right?” Shisui had asked as he watched me perform the body flicker for the third time, hurling a kunai in the process. “You should see about inviting them over to the Uchiha district.”_

“ _Invite them? Why?” I had questioned from my position on top of a moderately sized boulder._

“ _You're the daughter of the Uchiha clan head.” Shisui started. “If you can form bonds with some of the other major clan heirs, the Uchiha clan might be able to regain some respect as well as ties. Fugaku won't be able to ignore it and neither will the other clan heads, especially the Hyūga_. _”_

“ _But we're just a bunch of kids.” I had said, skeptical of such a suggestion while Shisui smiled._

“ _Kids with **very** influential parents.” _

I made my way through our class' group towards a head of familiar yellow hair. Naruto might not be a clan kid–well not apart of any large _existing_ clan–but I did tell Hinata I would invite him and he _could_ use the extra help.

“Hey Naruto, can I ask you something?” I asked. Naruto's head snapped around towards me. He still looked a little upset, but at least he wasn't yelling at me. “I wanted to ask if you were interested in training with me and Hinata sometime? We could study too.”

“You and Hinata?” Naruto repeated, and narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

I could see his entire body tense, as if prepared to spring at any given moment.

“We want to help you Naruto.” I said, sighing as I smiled. “And besides, we should hang out more often.”

“H-hang out?” Naruto murmured, casting his gaze to the ground. “Are you sure it would be alright? I mean...”

“I need to ask my mom first but I'm sure it will be fine.” I said reassuringly. Naruto still looked a bit unsure but nodded, before his nose scrunched up.

“Your brother's going to be there isn't he?” Naruto asked, and when I nodded, he scowled and crossed his arms. “You know, you're a lot nicer than that bast–your brother.”

I snorted and shrugged. “He's not _that_ bad.” I offered, and Naruto stared at me skeptically.

“Do you want me to invite anyone else?” I decided to ask. If Naruto was so against the idea of being near Sasuke, might as well let him bring a plus one.

“Eh...” Naruto scratched his head and glanced around the class. “Shikamaru? Chōji? I don't really talk to many other kids...”

Plus two.

“Alright then. I'll ask them.” I said, and started looking around for the two in question. It didn't take long to spot Chōji, and Shikamaru was standing beside him with his hands shoved in his pockets. As I approached the two with Naruto in toe, I smiled.

“Hey you two, do you wanna come over and train and study sometime?” I asked. At the confused look on Chōji's face, I clarified. “Like a study group?” I supplied. An Akimichi and a Nara. I wonder if Shino would be interested? I could ask Ino during kunoichi class. “I still need to ask my mom but it should be alright. We can decide on days and stuff tomorrow? Hinata and Naruto are in on it too.”

“I'll ask if I can.” Chōji said, and glanced at Shikamaru. The young Nara sighed and shrugged his shoulders

“Guess I'll ask too.” Shikamaru drawled, and turned his gaze back to us. “Why are you making a group though? It's not like you really need any help.”

“Because we can all help each other improve.” I said, shrugging. “And I wanna help.”

It was that, and the fact that I was taking Shisui's advice and also because I still wanted everyone to put in a little more effort and better themselves. What if Naruto actually climbed his way out of being dead last? It probably wouldn't happen but... well it was something to consider.

Iruka called over the group to announce that all of the matches were completed and we were to return to our classroom. The rest of the day went by without anymore interruptions and before I knew it, I was leaving kunoichi class and prepared to go home. Mom was waiting for me at the gate, and told me that dad was ready to teach us the fireball jutsu.

“I'll drop you off with him.” She explained as we walked through the streets. “Sasuke is already with him.”

“Ah, mom, is it alright if some friends come over tomorrow?” I asked, tugging on her hand slightly to gain her attention. “Or some other time?”

“Oh? Who are you inviting?” She asked, casting me a curious glance.

“Hinata Hyūga, Shikamaru Nara, Chōji Akimichi, Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka.” I listed off the names one after the other. I managed to wrangle Sakura and Ino in after bringing the topic up with the two during kunoichi class. I was pretty sure they were more excited about visiting Sasuke's home more than anything though. Ino even mentioned the idea of having a sleepover again, but whether she meant at the Uchiha district or her house I wasn't sure.

“It seems you've made a lot of friends.” Mom mused, smiling to herself. “Even the Uzumaki boy?” She questioned, and I nodded. “They can come over whenever they wish. Just be sure not to make a mess or disrupt the neighbors.”

I didn't really see that being an issue unless Sasuke and Naruto decided to single each other out.

They probably would.

“Thanks!” I chirped, beaming. Good, now I just hopped the others would be given permission to come over.

“There they are.” Mom said, pointing down the slope we stood atop and towards a small dock that both Sasuke and dad stood at the end of. “Be careful not to hurt yourself or fall into the water.” She said, leaning down to plant a swift kiss on the top of my head before gesturing for me to go to them. I waved at her as I slid down the slope and towards my two other family members.

Upon hearing my approach, Sasuke glanced back at me and his face lit up.

“Aiko! Dad's going to teach us the fireball jutsu!” He sad, before a smirk spread across his face. “He already showed me the hand seals.”

“I didn't think we would be learning it this early.” I commented as I came to a pause beside him just in time to see him finish the last hand seal and for a small stream of fire shoot from his mouth like a mini-flamethrower, but not quite a fireball.

Wasn't the entire reason he started teaching it to Sasuke because he was losing hope for Itachi? That couldn't be happening already, could it? No... he still favored Itachi over us so why was he suddenly teaching us the jutsu?

“It has come to my attention that you are receiving training from Shisui.” Dad begun, his first time speaking since I arrived. “Teaching you this will allow you to train with more skills. Shisui is an Uchiha, after all.”

And everyone knows Uchiha's are a bunch of spitfires, literally.

“What are the hand seals?” I questioned. Dad moved forward beside Sasuke, raising his hands.

“Tiger, snake, ram, monkey, boar, horse, and tiger.” Dad said, and performed the hand seals faster than my eyes could keep up. He inhaled a breath and in the next moment he exhaled fire that blazed out across the water and into a giant ball that dissipated, sending steam up into the air.

Seven hand seals. Probably the most I’ve used thus far to perform a jutsu.

No wonder the academy included memory games in lessons.

So far in my life, I hadn't been exposed to many 'wow' factor jutsu or anything overly destructive. Sure, body flicker was cool given how fast it was. Substitution was bizarre. Clones were unsettling.

But then there was the idea of being able to spew out _fire_.

“It doesn’t burn?” I suddenly found myself asking, eyes still staring at the steam as it slowly vanished.

“If the jutsu is performed too hastily or at an angle, it is possible.” Dad said, rolling his shoulders as I looked back at him. “If anything your fingers might get burned but not severely.”

“Dad said you have to knead the chakra internally and expel it through your mouth as fire.” Sasuke said, and scrunched up his face in frustration. If I had to guess, he was probably upset at not being able to do it right away.

So far I only used chakra to _do_ things–stick to things, repel things, replacement, clone and speed. I had yet to actually change it into something else like fire.

How do you make plain chakra turn into _fire_? Sasuke said you have to knead it internally so was it like Shisui and his rubber band explanation? To my knowledge, we're born with a specific affinity for one of the chakra natures, and being an Uchiha, fire was a given.

Maybe I just had to pretend to be a dragon.

Deciding I would only figure it out through _actual_ practice, I proceeded to perform the hand seals. I sucked in a deep breath, chest puffing out with the force as I imagined my chakra, churning within me and kneading it into the air I had inhaled, just before exhaling it past my fingers, imagining a lighter clicking to life.

I'm not quite sure what to describe the sensation as. I felt hot air blow from my mouth and the moment it was past my fingers it ignited and expanded into a small flamethrower much like what Sasuke did prior to my attempt. The heat that brushed past my fingers burned but not to the point where I wanted to cry out in pain, but I did flinch, startled, breaking the jutsu and causing the fire to come to an abrupt stop.

“Ah! You're about the same as me.” Sasuke noted, and narrowed his eyes. “I wanna try again.”

“I'll have to bring an ointment next time or something.” I murmured, sure that constant use of this jutsu would result in agitated skin one way or another. I turned my attention back towards the water as I repeated the hand seals and was once again spewing fire from my mouth. How were you even supposed to shape it like a fireball? Roll your tongue? Puff then blow? My brows furrowed as I watched the fire putter out and vanish.

Challenging.

I glanced back at dad to see him watching us with an unreadable expression, eyes focused.

I wasn't sure how much time passed, but after my fourth attempt, I felt like I was going to collapse. I still had relatively small chakra reserves given my childish body.

“We'll stop for today.” Dad announced, turning away from us and making his way off the dock. “Let's return home.”

I sat on the edge of the dock and could feel the sweat bead off my forehead. I didn't want to move, I was sure that my legs would scream in retaliation the moment I forced myself up. Chakra exhaustion was an odd experience. The body was hit with all of the effects of over-exercising without actually _needing_ to do any strenuous physical activities. I imagine an experienced shinobi could properly balance physical exhaustion and chakra exhaustion. It was dangerous but if you pushed your body to its physical limit, you could use chakra to keep pushing farther. Obviously though, that was ill advised.

Sasuke managed to keep standing but was doubled over with his hands on his knees and his breathing was unsteady, as if he'd ran a mile. We didn't get much farther than our little flamethrowers but I considered it a win.

I mean, I could _spew fire_ now. What _wasn't_ good about that?

I'll take that little bit of progress and live with it and work to improve.

“We gotta get home.” I said, more so to myself than Sasuke as I forced myself up. Just as I expected, my legs were not happy.

“W-we'll practice here... again tomorrow!” Sasuke said between breaths as he straightened himself upright. “I'm going to master this jutsu.”

I threw a glance towards our dad who had stopped at the top of the slope and was waiting for us. I followed after Sasuke as we made our way up to him.

“Dad, how did we do?” Sasuke asked, staring up at our father who walked with his arms crossed and eyes trained forward.

“It's a start.” Was all dad said in reply. Sasuke frowned and turned to me.

“I think we did good.” I supplied. When I caught dad look down at us, I crossed my arms. “Its a little flamethrower and its more than I could do before.”

“Keep practicing and perhaps you will reach the same level as Itachi.” Dad said, and I scowled. Sasuke looked curious though, before his expression shifted to one more focused.

“We'll keep practicing.” I said, nodding. “Dad?” I asked, and when he looked back down at us, I continued. “Do you know when I'll be able to get any of the flammable ninja wire or explosive tags?”

“You are still too young to use them, but within another year or two.” He replied, and raised an eyebrow. “Do you have something in mind for those specific tools?”

“I wanna start training with them as soon as I can.” I said, then paused. “Especially now that I know the fireball jutsu.”

Dad stared at me for a long moment before nodding. “Once you master the fireball jutsu, I will give you the ninja wire.”

Was he... giving me an incentive?

“What does Sasuke get?” I prodded, and dad glanced at Sasuke who stared back with curiosity.

“Ninja wire as well?” Dad suggested. “Then you can both practice with it.”

Well, I don't really know what I was expecting.

At least I'll have someone else to practice with I guess.

Sasuke looked disappointed at first before perking right back up. “Dad, when is Itachi going to get back?”

“He should be returning tomorrow.” Dad said. I cocked my head to the side and frowned. Hopefully Itachi wouldn't mind me bringing over a few extra friends.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing much to say for this chapter specifically. I had fun imagining Aiko stationed in front of a mirror practicing the clone jutsu.   
> On a side note, I'm considering posting some side stories and alternate POVs in the future under the title of 'Uchiha Sides' or something. I've already written one from Shisui and Itachi's POV but I'll put off posting them for a bit longer. I mostly do them for fun, but then again I write What it means to be Uchiha for fun anyway.
> 
> Special thanks to : Wecantgiggleitsacrimescene & Orlha for your comments on the last chapter <3 and thanks for the 114 kudos~
> 
> Fun fact : When I was younger and first watched Naruto on Cartoon Network, I thought the Uchiha 'fan' was actually a fishing bob. For the longest time I wondered why the hell is it a fishing bob? Are the Uchiha just really hardcore fishermen?  
> Imagine my disappointment when that wasn't the case.


	11. Chapter 11

I stared at the gates that led into the Uchiha district with a new sense of determination.

“I've never been to the Uchiha compound before...” Naruto said from beside me, arms crossed behind his head as he eyed the Uchiha fan above the gates with a tenseness in his form that made me wonder if he was having some second thoughts.

I didn't really blame him.

“I'm not surprised.” I said, shrugging and adjusting the strap of my satchel. I doubted Naruto was allowed in any of the clan areas of the village.

“Is your house very far?” Shikamaru asked from somewhere behind me.

“No, not much further.” I replied, and begun leading the group past the gates and through the streets towards my home. “To be honest Shikamaru, I didn't think you would come.” I said, throwing a glance over my shoulder towards the Nara in question.

He was smart– _really_ _smart_ –so I didn't expect him to attend our study group.

“I didn't want to but my mom told me to get out.” Shikamaru said, shrugging.

I felt my mouth open slightly as I stared at him, wondering if he was joking or not. I didn't question further and turned my attention forward again.

In the end, Naruto, Shikamaru, Ino, Sakura, and Chōji were able to come. Hinata said she would be arriving late. I wasn't sure why but I wasn't going to press her for answers.

“Here.” I said, pausing in front of my house and gesturing to it with my head. “Mom said we could use the back yard and lounge around on the veranda or use the the sitting room.”

It was still early fall and just the perfect temperature to hang around outside, but I doubted it would stay that way in the coming weeks.

“Let's use the back yard!” Naruto said immediately.

“Sitting room.” Ino and Sakura countered, causing Naruto to falter and cast them a dejected look.

“My votes for the veranda.” Shikamaru said.

“Veranda.” Chōji added.

“Veranda it is.” I said.

I opened the front door and paused to take off my black sandals, the others all following my lead. Naruto cast his to the side without much care, letting them remain where they landed and earning a scolding from Ino, before sheepishly placing them correctly.

“I'm home!” I called, stepping further into the house.

Mom peaked out from one of the side rooms and smiled at the sight of me. “Welcome home.” She said, and her gaze dragged back towards the group behind me. I noticed that her eyes briefly paused on Naruto, and an unreadable look crossed her face and vanished just as fast. “I'll prepare some tea.” She announced. “Your father is home, and so is Itachi and Sasuke. Sasuke's in his room. Try not to make too much noise.” She said, before vanishing back into the room she was in.

“Come on.” I said, waving a hand at the group and leading them through the house and towards the side doors that lead out to the veranda with a view of the yard.

Immediately everyone took up their own spot. I sat on the edge of the veranda with Sakura to my left and Ino beside her. Naruto sat to my right, legs crossed as he looked around curiously. Shikamaru and Chōji avoided the edge of the veranda and instead sat next to each other against the wall. I pulled off my satchel and set it in my lap as I started to withdraw today's homework, before pausing.

“Ah, I'm gonna go get Sasuke.” I said, setting my pack aside and standing. Naruto huffed.

“Why? Can't we do this without _him_?” Naruto complained, nose scrunched up in disdain.

“Sorry Naruto.” I said, smiling apologetically as I slipped back into the house and traversed the halls until I reached Sasukes room. I knocked on the door, and waited until it was opened and I was eye-to-eye with my twin brother.

“Come on, let's do our homework together.” I said, gesturing over my shoulder as I smiled. “I got our friends to come over.”

“ _Our_ friends?” Sasuke questioned, staring at me suspiciously. “Who?”

“Shikamaru, Chōji, Ino, Sakura, and Naruto.” I said. The further down the list I got, the more and more displeased he looked.

“No thanks.” He said, and I frowned.

“Pleaseee study with us?” I pleaded. “You're really smart and they could all use a little help.” I added.

I doubted Shikamaru needed much help, he was just lazy. The Nara probably could be at the top of the class instead of Sasuke if he _actually_ tried. Sakura was gifted with smarts while the others were pretty average and Naruto was... well.

Naruto.

Sasuke eyed me for a few moments, before he sighed and opened his door further. “Fine, let me grab my homework and I'll be out.”

With my quest completed I turned away with a triumphant smile and backtracked towards our study group. They were all in the same position, except Shikamaru was now sprawled out on the veranda and staring out towards the sky while Chōji read over his homework, leaning against one of the support beams as he conversed quietly with Naruto who took to doodling on his paper. Sakura and Ino seemed to be in an intense conversation, all smiles and giggles. Papers sat about, with pencils here and there. It was a good thing it wasn't a windy day today, I noted as I sat back down beside Sakura with my legs crossed and picked my paper back up.

“Sasuke's on his way.” I announced. “What do you guys wanna do after we finish our homework? Anything specific you need help with?” I questioned, glancing around.

“Ah, can we work on our math? I didn't get a very good grade on our last test...” Ino murmured. “And can we practice taijutsu?”

“I can help with the math.” Shikamaru said, rolling onto his side so he could look at us.

“Eh? _You_?” Ino questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Shikamaru is really smart.” Chōji said, finally speaking up after being mostly silent the whole time.

“He's just _reeeeally_ lazy.” Naruto added, smiling cheekily.

“Oi.” Shikamaru said, narrowing his eyes but not bothering to defend himself further.

“I think we should practice with the ninjutsu we've learned so far too.” I started, turning my attention to Naruto as I spoke. “Like the clone jutsu.”

“... You'd help me with _that_?” Naruto asked skeptically. I nodded. “B-but I'm _really_ bad at that jutsu!” Naruto quickly said, looking torn as he fumbled for words.

“I want our whole group to get decent grades and pass.” I said. I wasn't going to pressure them all into passing with flying colors but just slightly better at least. “Which means making sure you can create a simple clone.”

The door to the veranda opened and Sasuke stepped out, followed shortly after by Itachi and Hinata, to my surprise.

Sasuke took one look at all of us before sighing. “Alright, let's get this over with.” He said, and moved to take a seat near Shikamaru and Chōji.

Itachi stepped forward and placed a tray down that held teacups for all of us. “Do you need any help?” He questioned, looking from Sasuke and then to me. I shrugged.

“You can hang around just in case if you're not busy?” I suggested. Itachi nodded, moving to sit beside the door with his back against the wall and his legs tucked beneath him, giving him a clear view of all of us spread across the veranda. I turned my attention to Hinata.

“Hinata? You actually came?” I questioned. The shy girl nodded as she sheepishly moved to take a seat amongst us.

“I arrived with my f-father.” Hinata explained. “He's currently s-speaking with your father, Fugaku.”

… Hiashi was talking with my dad? Why? Was he _that_ overprotective of Hinata?

“...I see.” I murmured, biting my lip. I hope it was nothing bad.

“Hey, idiot. Why'd you doodle all over your homework?” Sasuke questioned. I turned my attention to the sound just in time to see Naruto bristle as he prepared to engage in a new argument with my brother.

“Cause you took too long to show up, jerk!” Naruto countered, jabbing a finger in Sasuke's direction as he spoke.

“You're the one who's slow dead last!” Sasuke shot back, puffing up his cheeks as Naruto scowled.

“Alright! Let's start on our assignment!” I quickly said, gaining their attention.

This was going to be _great_.

Our group managed to begin working on our homework assignment for about five minutes before talking broke out.

“Aiko, did I do this problem right?” Sakura asked, sliding me her paper while Ino shuffled back towards Itachi. I gave her sheet a quick look before smiling.

“Yup. Perfect, just as I expected Sakura.” I said, handing her homework back and turning my attention back to my own while still keeping an ear and eye on the rest of the group.

“Hey, Itachi, how do you solve this?” Ino questioned, scooting towards my older brother who's indifferent expression softened as he smiled and took her paper to read the question she pointed to.

I'd spoken of Itachi with Ino and Sakura before, and they'd seen him on the rare days where he could pick me up from the academy. This was the first time they were actually able to talk, though.

“You need to replace this with the number six...” Itachi began. Ino's eyes were glued to the paper but darted up to look at his face periodically.

“Say... Are you Sasuke and Aiko's brother?” Naruto suddenly asked, face twisted in concentration as he stared at Itachi, gaining Itachi's attention as the group gaped at him.

“What the–have you been living under a rock?!” Ino scolded. “Of course he's their brother!”

“H-hey! You don't need to yell at me! How was I supposed to know that?!” Naruto shot back, raising his hands in front of himself and shrinking away from her shrill voice.

Ino however had turned her attention back to Itachi, disregarding Naruto as she spoke. “Sorry about him, he's not the smartest guy around.” She said, and laughed lightly.

I stared at her for a long, _long_ calculating moment before I ran a hand across my face and let out a deep sigh.

“No, it's quite alright. I never properly introduced myself.” Itachi begun with a cordial smile as his eyes scanned over the group. “My name is Itachi Uchiha. I'm both Sasuke and Aiko's older brother. It's a pleasure to meet you all.” He said, and bowed his head slightly.

Ino dropped her pencil and stared. I could see her cheeks tint red slightly as she froze in place.

 _Itachi, the gentleman_ , I thought biting my lip to keep from laughing at the display. I hadn't really taken into account how the present rookie nine may react to him.

Certainly didn't expect this development.

“A-ah we never introduced ourselves either!” Ino stammered out, before hastily giving her own introduction and gesturing to the rest sitting about, skipping over Naruto as she went, much to the blond boys dismay.

“Do you require any more help, Ino?” Itachi questioned. Ino blinked before stuttering on the spot.

“T-t-the next one!” She yelled. Itachi didn't flinch at the volume she used and proceeded to try and help the young Yamanaka with the next problem on her math homework.

“Augggh! Why does Iruka sensei have to give us _homework_?!” Naruto complained.

“So that we can keep our skills sharp?” Chōji suggested innocently, looking up from his paper towards Naruto who frowned.

“If you don't do your homework, you'll continue being dead last, _dead last_.” Sasuke said.

“Why you–!” Naruto started, grinding his teeth as he glared at Sasuke who sniffed and turned his head the other way.

“N-n-naruto, if y-you n-need help, I can...” Hinata started, trailing off as she avoided looking Naruto in the eye and shyly wiggled in place from nerves as her ears tinted red.

“Ah, what was that? I didn't hear you Hinata.” Naruto asked, causing the heiress to stutter out her second attempt, only to find that Naruto's attention had returned to Sasuke.

As time ticked by, I finished my homework–surprisingly–given all of the distracting and amusing chatter. I cast my gaze down towards Shikamaru who was still laying on the veranda, but his eyes were now closed.

I pressed my lips into a flat line before I stretched a leg out towards him and nudged his side with my foot. “Hey slacker, no slacking.” I said, and the mental image of _Dora the Explorer_ crossed my mind so suddenly and strongly, as if triggered from the depths of my conscious. The corner of my lip twitched up and a sudden snort of barely restrained laughter escaped. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at my display but remained quiet.

Oh, I forgot how to speak relatively sensible Spanish. Guess that was another tragedy of my reincarnation to add to the list.

I wonder if I could still knit?

I hadn't really considered actually reusing or relearning skills from my past life. I was too focused on surviving and adapting to this one, while struggling to remember things about a series I was never too highly invested in but now clung to like a lifeline.

_How many years before this event? What happens that triggers this? Who did I have to keep an eye on the most? Who's in the most immediate danger?_

“I haven't done any before.” Shikamaru groaned. “Why start now?”

I stared at him, deadpan, as I sighed. “Alright fine, at least help others?”

“Seems like your older brother has it handled.” Shikamaru said, raising an eyebrow.

“Alright then.” I said, rolling my eyes. “Check over my answers?” I asked, extending my paper towards him.

Shikamaru stared at me. “You're not going to give up, are you?”

“No.” I said, smiling and shaking my paper slightly as I waited while he leaned up.

“Bothersome.” Shikamaru mumbled as he took my paper, eyes scanning over my answers as he picked up his own discarded pencil to mark any mistakes.

“Sasuke, do you think you can help me with this?” Sakura asked, working her way towards my twin who eyed her with caution. He wordlessly took her paper before explaining where she went wrong in a blunt manner. Chōji was pointing to something on Naruto's paper and speaking quietly as the blond boy's brows furrowed further and further in frustration.

“Here.” Shikamaru said, handing my paper back to me. “No errors.”

“Wait, really?” I questioned. Shikamaru nodded and proceeded to lay back down.

“I can double check it if you would like, Aiko.” Itachi offered. I nodded, and handed him my paper while Ino sat next to him, working on her own.

As I watched Itachi check over my answers, a thought popped to mind.

“Hey, Itachi, have you ever considered being a teacher?” I asked curiously. Itachi turned his attention away from my homework and to me.

“No. Why?” He asked, and I hummed as I crossed my arms.

“Just curious.” I said, smiling. Itachi raised an eyebrow but returned his attention to my homework.

Time dragged on, and whenever someone had a question, they'd speak up and usually Itachi, Sasuke, or Sakura would provide assistance. Chōji was smarter than I initially expected. Not incredibly smart like Shikamaru, but good enough that I didn't need to worry about him. Ino seemed a bit one-track minded, but with a little prompting, she could get by just fine. Hinata was modest, she was more intelligent than she let on.

Itachi was like the quiet mediator of the group, helping where he could and ensuring Sasuke and Naruto didn't end up at each others throats. Ino was surprisingly highly interested in Itachi and would ask random questions, sometimes ones about Sasuke, to which Itachi would answer with great care. I could tell Sasuke was embarrassed, but Itachi chuckled at his expense.

“What were Sasuke and Aiko like as babies?” Sakura asked.

“When Sasuke was a baby, he would refer to me as ' _Tachi_ '.” Itachi said, smiling. “Aiko would call me ' _Chi_ '.”

Oh no I was getting roped into it.

“That's so cute!” Ino said, while Sakura giggled.

I could hear Naruto shaking with barely contained laughter while Sasuke stared at Itachi in unrestrained horror.

“Why'd you tell them that?” Sasuke demanded.

“They asked.” Itachi said simply.

“Maybe we should keep the questions focused on our studies.” Shikamaru said, having finally leaned up again and was checking Chōji's work.

Ino and Sakura seemed upset at the suggestion but dropped their conversation with Itachi, turning their attention back to their papers and notebooks.

“I've noticed that you aren't doing your own work, Shikamaru.” Itachi noted.

“Don't feel like it.” Shikamaru said.

“Is it too difficult?” Itachi questioned, and Shikamaru shrugged.

“No. It's easy.”

I could see Itachi's brows draw together slightly as he stared at Shikamaru. “Than do you wish for something more challenging?”

Shikamaru tilted his head to the side as he thought over Itachi's question. “They don't teach anything more challenging at the academy. At least not yet.”

“I see.” Itachi said. “Hand me your paper, please.”

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, but complied. I watched as Itachi began to scribble something on the side margin that was empty. After a few moments, he handed the paper back to Shikamaru. “Why don't you try to solve that?”

I watched as Shikamaru read over whatever it was Itachi wrote, before narrowing his eyes. Without a word he picked up his pencil and started to answer the question.

I stared, wide-eyed, before looking back to Itachi who smiled.

“If I have the time, I'll create a worksheet for you to do whenever you visit in the future.” Itachi said.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and looked up from his paper while I gawked at Itachi, pretty sure that Sasuke was as well.

“...Troublesome.” Shikamaru mumbled, but didn't decline.

I tore my gaze away from the Nara and towards Naruto who seemed to be focusing a little too hard as he held his paper centimeters from his face, reading questions out loud as he stumbled over a few words.

Unlike Shikamaru, it wasn't a matter of Naruto simply not _trying_ , it was just that book smarts weren’t his forte. Practical examples, analogies, and hands on lessons seemed to work best for him, I came to note.

Time passed us by and the sun moved across the sky. After we finished with our written work, we took to practicing the clone jutsu as well as taijutsu upon Ino's request. Hinata offered to help Ino, and took on a defensive stance and never bothered to hit Ino, instead simply blocking and redirecting her attacks and hesitantly commenting on areas that she deemed weak or in need of work.

I tried to help Naruto, even bringing out a hand mirror for him to train the same way I had, but he barely improved. At most, he managed to get a little more color in his clone and it's arm wasn't broken but it still sunk to the ground in a heap. Itachi had activated his sharingan to try to see what the problem was, and noted that Naruto had extremely poor chakra control, and expended too much, causing the clone to essentially experience an 'overload' and become unstable. Naruto wasn't too happy with the revelation, but seemed at least a little grateful that he knew what the issue was now.

By the time we decided to stop, it was late afternoon, trickling into the evening.

“I told mom I’d be back in time for dinner.” Sakura said as she gathered up her papers along with Ino.

“I had no idea this stuff could make any sense.” Naruto said, awe laced into his voice as he took another look at his homework and notes. “And it was so easy after you guys explained it too! Why can't Iruka sensei explain things like that!?” He shouted. “It's still really boring though...”

“Idiot! Keep it down!” Sasuke hissed. Naruto stuck his tongue out in reply. Sasuke flicked his pencil at him. The two proceeded to glare at each other as Shikamaru spoke up.

“Well, usually people don't need to use ramen and frogs in their lessons.” Shikamaru drawled, raising an eyebrow at the blond who frowned.

“A-are we going to do this again?” Hinata questioned. I cocked my head to the side in thought and crossed my arms.

“I'd like to. What about you guys?” I questioned, glancing around the group.

“Can we?” Ino questioned eagerly.

“Sure.” I said, shrugging.

“I'd like to do this again.” Sakura said, nodding.

“Shikamaru?” Chōji prompted. Shikamaru sighed.

“...It's a drag but I guess I'll be showing up again. My mom would be upset if I didn't.” Shikamaru said, shrugging as he stood. Chōji nodded.

“Of _course_ I'll be coming back!” Naruto yelled, grinning from ear to ear. “Say, do you think Iruka sensei will stop nagging me about my grades?!”

Where did Naruto get all of his energy? Even other kids weren’t half as bouncy as him.

“You'll need to study more before that happens.” I said. Naruto frowned.

“You all are smart for your age.” Itachi said, smiling at us as he picked up the tray of now empty teacups. “I'm glad that my little brother and sister have such good friends.”

As Itachi slipped back into the house, Sasuke snorted as he turned his attention to Naruto. “As if I would ever be friends with an idiot like you.”

“Eh!? Well I don't wanna be friends with you either, bastard!” Naruto shot back, teeth bared.

“Hey, don't call Sasuke that!” Ino shot back, glaring daggers at Naruto and raising a fist for emphasis. Sakura was close behind, frowning at the blond.

Naruto blinked as he realized he was outnumbered and scowled.

“It's never going to be very quiet, is it?” Shikamaru murmured.

“Are we going to invite anyone else to join in our study group?” Chōji asked.

I frowned as my brows knit together. “I've thought about it. Does anyone speak to Kiba or Shino often?” I questioned. The group glanced at each other.

“I talk to Shino sometimes.” Chōji said.

“I do too.” Sasuke added. “He sits behind us.”

“I just argue with Kiba.” Naruto mumbled. “Why would you wanna invite _him_? Isn't Sasuke enough?”

 _Because he's an Inuzuka_ , I thought, but bit my tongue. “Cause he could use the help.”

“...I guess I could ask him, but I wont like it.” Naruto grumbled as he stood up with the rest of us. “When are we gonna do this again?”

“Every other day I have training.” I said, frowning in thought. “So we can do this the day after tomorrow?”

I received nods and affirmative responses in return. “Alright than.” I said, nodding to myself.

Things were going to get busier and busier... weren’t they?

I walked the group to the front door with Sasuke. As everyone put their shoes back on and took their leave, I smiled and waved them off. Hiashi showed up and escorted Hinata out. Naruto paused and turned back to me, mouth opening, then closing as his gaze turned downcast.

“Um.. You know... not many people are willing to talk to me.” Naruto started, avoiding looking at Sasuke as he stood in front of me, one of his hands lifting to grip his other arm as he spoke. “Or hang out. Or help me. Or stuff...” His voice trailed off before picking back up. “So I just wanted to say thanks for inviting me, ya know?”

I cast a glance at Sasuke to see that he was staring at Naruto intently, but was remaining silent, mouth in a flat line.

“You can come over and visit whenever you want Naruto.” I said, smiling. “If you need help, just ask. I'm sure Iruka sensei's willing to help you put in more effort if you ask him too.”

“Ah, yeah. Iruka sensei is nice. Oh! He took me to this really great ramen shop! I should show you guys sometime! It has the _best_ ramen!” Naruto said, expression shifting into a grin as he chuckled to himself. Then like a flipped switch, his eyes shot past me and his expression blanked. Without a word he darted out the front door and from sight.

“You've managed to procure an interesting group of friends.” Dad said. I nearly jumped from his sudden silent appearance behind me.

“T-they're classmates.” I said, turning to face him fully. His eyes were on the front door, before they shifted to look down at me and Sasuke who stood to my right.

“Yes, I'm aware of that.” Dad replied.

“They're gonna come over again the day after tomorrow so we can study more.” Sasuke said. “It was Aiko's idea.”

“Oh, Aiko's?” Dad mused, raising an eyebrow as he returned his gaze to me, eyes calculating. “Just be sure that this doesn’t interfere with your training.”

“It wont.” I affirmed, nodding as my expression turned serious. I still had to work on the fireball jutsu, after all. And in mastering that, I’d get my ninja wire.

“Dinner will be ready shortly.” Dad said, and turned to leave us be.

 

* * *

 

Itachi is a member of anbu.

If I wasn't sure before, I was most _definitely_ sure now.

_It was late when I heard movement in the entrance hall. The shuffling of feet and cloth, something being set down and shifted. I could sense the familiar warm chakra, like a well contained flame. Curiosity got the better of me and I wandered out from the kitchen to investigate and found my older brother sitting within the genkan, removing his black sandals and scarcely familiar arm guards. A tantō was resting beside him._

_Upon hearing my approach he cast a glance back towards me. In the dimly lit space, shadows danced across the floor and on his face–hauntingly reminiscent of a memory id like to avoid seeing as reality._

“ _You're late.” I had said, trying to keep my voice playful but failed as my tone wavered quietly. “You missed dinner.”_

“ _Ah, I'm sorry Aiko.” Itachi said as I walked up to him and crouched down to get a better look at the tantō and his clothes. Yup. Definitely anbu-issued._

“ _I'm not upset.” I said. “Just worried about you.”_

_Itachi paused in his movements and looked back to me. A few moments of silence passed before he smiled. “You don't need to worry about anything, Aiko. I'll be fine. I'm the older brother, let me do the worrying.”_

“ _No.” I said, frowning. Itachi's eyebrows rose from my quick reply._

“ _No?” He repeated._

“ _You shouldn't have to handle things alone.” I said, frowning. “You have Shisui and me and Sasuke and we want you to be happy.”_

_Itachi stared at my face as my words sunk in. He turned his attention back to the removal of his armor.“If you are safe, than I am happy.”_

_I bit my lip as I stared at his smiling face._

“Aiko.” Shisui said, causing me to turn my full attention to him. He stood beside me on the shore of the same lake I always practiced the fireball jutsu with Sasuke at. “I think you got it. Could you do it one more time though?”

“Yea.” I said, turning forward again and performing the necessary hand seals. I inhaled sharpy, chest protruding from the effort and exhaled. A wave of fire blew out across the water, rolling into a spherical shape the size of a small truck. It was nowhere near as big as dad's or Shisui's, but I wasn't expecting it to be. I needed a fully developed chakra system for that size, and I wouldn't have that for a few more years. I was surprised I could get it as big as I managed.

After my first attempt and only managing a mini-flamethrower, I trained daily with Sasuke. Whenever we learned a new jutsu, Sasuke always dragged me off to train with him to master it, no matter what day it was or what jutsu. Whenever I wanted to stop, Sasuke pushed us onward. His sheer willpower was slightly surprising, until I remembered why he wanted to master the fireball jutsu so bad.

Sasuke had gotten the hang of it yesterday, and it seemed I was decent enough with it now. It only took little over a week.

“Great! I think we can wrap up for today. You've gotten the hang of the fireball jutsu pretty fast but I knew you could do it.” Shisui said, smiling as he pat me on the head affectionately. I scowled and tried to swat his hand away but he drew back before I could hit him.

“Too slow, Aiko.” Shisui teased while I groaned in annoyance. “Let's heard back. I'll drop you off at home. Itachi's there and I want to speak with him.”

“Alright.” I said, stretching out my arms as I turned to follow him back to the main road that lead to the Uchiha district. “Hey, Shisui, do you think that we could figure out a training plan?” I asked, looking up to see his face as he cocked his head to the side in thought.

“We can. Finally have something specific in mind?”

It's been a few weeks since I begun training with Shisui, and outside of refining the basics, we haven’t really focused on anything specific. There was the body flicker, kunai and shuriken training and then the fireball jutsu. We'd only just begun to touch on stealth but those lessons were more verbal for the moment.

“Dad said that he would give me the Uchiha-brand ninja wire as a reward for getting the hang of the fireball jutsu.” I explained. “I wanna train with that.” I said, and bit my lip as I thought over the other things that had crossed my mind within the past few days. “I want to be fast, and the body flicker is great and all, but could we add weights to the mix?” I asked, looking up towards Shisui for an answer.

The body flicker was a burst of speed from chakra, but if I could harness my own speed outside of the technique and without chakra, how much faster could I go? Hypothetically... could I cut down on the cost of chakra by making up for it through physical advancement? Gai and Lee both used weights if I was remembering correctly, they were both fast without the constant use of body flicker.

Shisui's eyebrows raised as he stared down at me. “I see you've considered specifics.” He said, then smiled. “I can help teach you how to use the ninja wire, and how to use it in conjunction with fire release jutsu. You can use light weights now and gradually increase to heavier ones.”

“Where can I get weights?” I questioned.

Shisui glanced around as if gauging out location before speaking. “How about I buy you your first set?” He suggested.

My eyes widened. “You don't have to–“ I started, prepared to decline the offer, but Shisui interrupted before I could finish.

“It's no problem, and you can consider it a late birthday gift.” Shisui said, before frowning slightly. “Really late, or really early. One of the two.”

I couldn't help release a childish giggle at his words. “Alright, fine. Where are we going to get them?”

“I know a shop. We'll need to backtrack a bit though.” He said, gesturing back towards the village.

“Let's go than.” I said, unable to contain my excitement.

We changed our course and made our way back towards the village. Shisui ended up taking me to one of the more shop-filled blocks. We broke away from the crowded street and entered a small building that smelled of iron and smoke.

My eyes immediately drifted across the walls that were lined with kunai, shuriken, senbon and even large fūma shuriken on display. Kodachi, ōdachi, sickles and all sorts of weapons that looked finely crafted to my untrained eyes. What wasn't mounted on the walls was set up for display along tables pushed off to the sides. I could spot stacks of seals, caltrops, spools of ninja wire and what I imagined to be smoke bombs as well as small suspicious bags of mystery powder.

 _So_ , I thought, eyes still darting around and taking in every detail like an awe-struck child, _this is a shinobi tool shop?_

I was so distracted that I hadn't even noticed that Shisui was already standing at the counter and talking with a well built man with scraggly black hair and stubble. He cast me a glance and met my eye, nodding to himself as he turned his attention back to Shisui. He said something I couldn't catch before drifting off to a door that lead into the back of the shop.

I moved towards one of the tables, and picked up one of the spools of ninja wire, before setting it back down and picking up one of the bags of mystery powder. The tag stated that it was gunpowder.

 _Huh_.

“We're in luck. He has training weights in stock. I can purchase you a set. ” Shisui said, stepping up next to me and picking up one of the smoke bombs and rolling it around in his hand..

“A _set_?” I questioned. He nodded.

“One to start off with and then three more to gradually increase through.” Shisui affirmed.

Oh, so... using weights was like gauging your ears?

_Probably a bad comparison._

“... How expensive is this?” I questioned, narrowing my eyes.

“Don't give me that look, it's a gift.” Shisui said, rolling his eyes just as the shopkeeper returned. Shisui picked up two more smoke bombs before returning to the counter. I set the gunpowder back where I originally picked it up from and followed after Shisui.

A box was set onto the counter, causing it to warp slightly and creak from the pressure. I blinked owlishly as I wondered just how heavy it was.

Shisui added the smoke bombs to the mix and after getting everything rung up, he handed off the necessary ryō and the man smiled as he pushed the box towards Shisui who pocketed his newly bought smoke bombs and took the box with little struggle, turning towards me.

“Wanna try on the first set to make sure they're comfortable before we go?” He asked. I nodded, curiosity getting the better of me.

Shisui leaned down and placed the box on the floor in front of me, opening it to reveal four stacks of gray-colored weights.

He pointed to the first stack on the far right. “This is the first pair you'll use. After three months, you'll advance to the next set.” He explained, pointing to the set beside it and then gesturing down the line. Shisui pulled out the first pair and handed one to me.

“These are your leg weights. They fasten around your ankle.” He explained. “Want me to show you how to put them on?”

I nodded and extended one of my feet towards him. After taking hold of my ankle and fastening the weight on with a _click,_ he let go. I experimentally lifted my leg up and down, pleased to find that it didn't wiggle or slide off.

I could definitely feel a difference but it wasn't an _extreme_ difference. Two pounds? _Maybe_ three? I cocked my head to the side in puzzlement before moving to put the other weight on myself.

“You'll wear these throughout the day but remove them when you sleep or aren't going to be mobile for very long.” Shisui said.

Once everything was fastened I stood in the middle of the shop and experimentally hopped, stretched and walked in place.

“I like them.” I said, smiling and looking back to the man behind the counter who was watching with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. “Thanks for the weights mister!” I said, before turning back to Shisui. “And thank you for buying them for me. I'll pay you back somehow.”

“Let's just put them to good use. That'll be payback enough for me.” Shisui mused as he stood up with the box in his arms. “Home?”

“Actually... can we make a pit stop at the library?” I asked.

Shisui cocked his head to the side. “Any particular reason?” He questioned.

“I wanna get books.” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Ha. I would have never guessed.” Shisui said.

“Books on chakra control and some other stuff.” I said as we stepped back out of the shop and into the street.

“Why the interest?” Shisui questioned. “From what Itachi's said, you have good control to begin with.”

“I haven't walked up a tree or on water yet.” I said, frowning in thought. “And if I get better control, that means I’ll waste less chakra when performing jutsu, right?”

Not only that but maybe I could drag Sakura into chakra control training with me. Naruto could use the practice too.

“Yea.” Shisui said, nodding. “Did you want to add those exercises to your training?” He asked curiously.

“Yes please.” I said, smiling to myself.

A year ago I was worried I wouldn't be able to do much, but now? I was _excited_.

How much more could I learn? How much more could I do?

Age was still a shackle in regards to my training but I was getting somewhere.

When it came to the clan, I was starting to think we might be able to _actually_ change things. I'm daring to hope. I still worried of course, but I was doing things–small things, but things none the less. It was more than what I was doing a year ago. I cast a glance at Shisui.

_We're doing things._

Shisui had said he was working on things to change the future too, and still met with the Hokage. Joint projects, relocation, the Police Force–he vaguely hinted to the things they talked about but assured me that nothing major would happen without running things by me. I imagine he was trying to be considerate, due to my age, and it was understandable.

Who would leave a kid with the responsibility of changing the future?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is 19 pages long and nearly double the length I normally write. My fingers slipped I guess. Honestly though the second half was meant to be the next chapter but it was a little too short, so I pushed it back to this chapter, and then when I went back to revise and edit I ended up adding more to it and making it even longer.  
> Hope you all enjoy the extra long chapter!  
> In regards to the rookie nine study group : don't worry, there'll be another chapter in the future where everyone is present (meaning Shino and Kiba too).
> 
> Special thanks to : matchynishi, Wecantgiggleitsacrimescene, Mesonoxian, and libraryrocker for the comments~<3  
> @Wecantgiggleitsacrimescene : I hope you see a fishing bob every time you look at the Uchiha fan now LOL  
> @matchynishi : Your comment made me imagine Shikamaru and Itachi playing shogi frequently in the future, something I hadn't really considered before. I like the idea though, if it doesn't make it into the actual fic as a scene than I'll probably do an alternate tidbit for it that'll get put with the other alternate pov and side stories file.  
> @Mesonoxian : Oh gosh golly, I'm always worried that my pacing is too slow ;A; thank you for the lovely comment kind stranger. you precious cinnamon roll.
> 
> Fun fact : One of my favorite things to write are character interactions, be it idle chatter or intense conversation.  
> Bonus fun fact : I wrote the next chapter while suffering from a headache but I was too pumped and stubborn to stop :'D (don't follow my example kids, take care of yourselves)


	12. Chapter 12

I pressed myself up against the tree I was hiding in, flattening my body against the bark and slowing my breathing as I tried to suppress my chakra and presence.

_Small, condensed, dimming flame–_

I could scarcely hear Sasuke shout somewhere in the distance and had to bite my lip to keep from giggling.

Seems he didn't hide fast enough.

I cast a cautious glance around the area. It was late fall, and the leaves were all orange and yellow. From my spot on one of the higher tree branches, I could see through a few breaks in the foliage but nothing moved within my line of sight.

I didn't really expect to win though. I mean, Shisui and Itachi were trained _anbu_.

Sasuke and myself?

Academy students.

It was like dropping two tigers on two rabbits or kittens.

“You know, you're getting better but you really should focus on your surroundings more.”

I yelped in surprise from the voice that trailed down from above me and stumbled forward. I craned my head around to look over my shoulder and could see Shisui standing vertically on the tree, arms crossed and looking down at me with an amused expression.

“How long have you been there?” I questioned as I tried to reign in my frantic-beating heart.

“Since you started looking around.” Shisui said, his smile growing.

“And Sasuke?” I questioned.

“Itachi got him.”

I scowled. “That was fast.”

Shisui _hmm'_ ed and shrugged. “You guy's are still learning.”

“What are we going to do next?” I asked as Shisui dropped down to stand on the branch next to me.

What we were playing was essentially hide and seek but with the purpose of hiding both your chakra signature and trail. I suggested it as a means of training that's both fun and allowed me and Sasuke to get in a little practice but well... after three attempts and all failing within minutes, I doubted I'd suggest it again for a while.

I had half a mind to call them out for cheating. Maybe I should of said 'no sharingan allowed'.

“We can figure that out when we regroup.” Shisui said. “I think we might be stopping for the day though, me and Itachi have some business to attend to soon.” He added, grinning before waving at me to follow as he leap from the tree and to the next. I followed after, and within moments, we reached Itachi and Sasuke who were waiting around a large rock that Sasuke insisted on making 'home base'.

Sasuke was glaring at Itachi, cheeks puffed up before his gaze turned to me. “You too?” He asked, casting a suspicious look towards Shisui.

“Me too.” I said, nodding.

“Can we do something else?” Sasuke asked, shoulders slumping. “What about shuriken and kunai practice? Or something cool.”

Itachi smiled and waved for Sasuke to step closer. My twin brother's face lit up as he sprinted towards Itachi, only to get poked in the forehead and double backwards.

“Sorry, Sasuke. I think we should return home for the day.” Itachi said, smiling sadly at his little brother who frowned.

“You always say that though! Why can't we keep training?” Sasuke demanded, narrowing his eyes.

“Because I need to borrow him.” Shisui said, stepping forward and throwing an arm around Itachi's shoulders, smiling as Sasuke's face contorted to a look of betrayal.

“But he's _my_ brother.” Sasuke said, pouting.

“Don't worry Sasuke, we can still train together.” I suggested. “After we get home we can practice in the yard?”

“...No, I'm just gonna shower and do my homework.” Sasuke murmured, looking off into the trees.

“Come on, let's get you two home.” Shisui said, and gestured for us to start walking.

Our group made its way back home without incident and with most of the silence filled by Shisui or Sasuke. As soon as we stepped through the doors of our home, Sasuke was the first to speak.

“I call first shower!” He said, kicking off his sandals and bolting down the hall.

“Too slow, Aiko.” Shisui mused. I shrugged.

“I can wait.” I said, taking off my sandals and repositioning Sasuke's discarded ones so they were facing out.

Itachi and Shisui wandered through the halls and stepped out onto the veranda. I followed after them and took a seat between the two, swinging my legs over the edge while waiting for Sasuke to finish in our shared bathroom. I wasn't overly dirty from our scuffle in the forest, but I still wanted to wash my hair.

“Sorry about showing up while you two were sparring.” I said, smiling apologetically as I swung my legs. “Sasuke really wanted to find Itachi.”

“It's fine.” Shisui said, smiling and shrugging.

“It seems that Sasuke is training with you two on occasion.” Itachi said. I stopped swinging my legs and turned my attention to Itachi.

“Yea. Shisui's teaching me lots of cool stuff. We meet up every other day and sometimes I can drag Sasuke along.” I said, grinning. “You should join us more often.”

Itachi was quiet as a frown tugged at the corners of his lips. “My duties within anbu are... time consuming.”

“Why not request some off time?” I suggested. “Shisui... _kind_ _of_ did.”

“I'm afraid I cannot.” Itachi replied, eyes flickering to Shisui.

“...Oh.” I said simply and turned my attention to the ground.

That's right... Itachi was stuck in anbu because our father wanted him there, right? He can't just 'request some off time'.

“How is your training with Shisui? You two are spending a lot of time together.” Itachi asked.

“I can use the body flicker decently now.” I started, tilting my head to the side as I thought. “And I learned the fireball jutsu with Sasuke. I've started learning how to handle ninja wire too! And I got weights!” I said, unable to contain my excitement as I straightened my legs out in front of me so that the gray weights around my ankles were visible.

“I see.” Itachi said, eyes lingering on the weights before returning to my face.

“Soon I'll be able to learn even more. Oh, we learned the substitution and clone jutsu's at the academy too.” I added. “Soon we'll learn the transformation jutsu and then–“

Itachi raised a hand and poked my forehead when I begun to ramble. I immediately stopped and shielded my forehead on reflex and turned to face him with shocked eyes.

“I'm sorry that I can't train with you more often.” Itachi said, smiling sadly as he retracted his hand. I frowned at the sight of his troubled expression, and guilt slowly bubbled in my gut.

“It's alright... I know you're busy.” I said. Itachi was quiet as he stared across the yard before speaking.

“Shisui.” Itachi started, gaining his friends attention. “Why did you request reduced duties?”

“Well, some thing's came up that needed my full attention.” Shisui said, and when Itachi appeared to be expecting an explanation, Shisui shook his head. “S-rank. I still do a few missions here and there though, like the one we went on today.” Shisui pointed out.

Itachi stared at Shisui, the gears turning in his head practically visible within his calculating eyes before his gaze briefly drifted to me.

“Does it involve Aiko?” Itachi simply asked.

Well, I guess I should of expected Itachi to start considering all kinds of possibilities given how hes a genius and all. I slouched slightly, the guilty feeling increasing.

“S-rank.” Shisui said, before leaning back on his hands and tapping a short yet peculiar rhythm onto the veranda. I narrowed my eyes as I glanced back over my shoulder at his hands.

“I see.” Itachi said, and I turned back to look at him, noting that his expression was indifferent as he turned his attention forward. “The weather has been clear today, hasn’t it?”

“It has.” Shisui replied, tone carefully controlled and with the barest hint of amusement. “I heard that there might be a storm coming though.”

“Oh?” Itachi murmured. “So have I.” He said, not sound at all surprised.

“I think it'd be best to carry a spare umbrella, maybe keep Aiko indoors so she won't catch a cold. Don't want her to miss training, after all.” Shisui said, smiling as he cast Itachi a sideways glance.

I was pretty sure there were loads of hidden meanings behind their conversation but I felt as if I shouldn't interrupt. It was rather obvious that the underlying messages were about me. I awkwardly laced my fingers in my lap and twiddled my thumbs.

“I'll remember that.” Itachi said.

“Say...” I started, gaining their attention after their conversation died off. “Do you think we can try and set days where we can all train together? I mean, I know you're busy Itachi and having Shisui all to myself is great and all but...”

I was still _Itachi's_ little sister.

“...I'll speak with Shisui later about when I'm free, if possible.” Itachi said, just as Sasuke stepped out from the doors behind us, drying his hair with a towel.

“My turn.” I said, rising and brushing past him to claim the bathroom. I didn't want to keep bothering Itachi and Shisui, especially if they had work to do soon.

I took a quick shower, and stepped out of the bathroom towel-drying my hair and smelling of strawberries. I made a pit stop at my room before traveling back out to the veranda, only to find that Shisui and Itachi were gone, unsurprisingly. Sasuke was nowhere in sight.

I stepped back into the house, feeling slightly disappointed. Well, they _did_ say they had something to do.

The pitter-patter of feet on the wooden flooring drew my attention to Sasuke who held a blue notebook in one hand and pencil in the other. He raised the notebook up and shook it slightly.

“Aiko, wanna do today's homework together?” Sasuke asked.

“Sure.” I said. “My room?” I questioned. Sasuke nodded and the two of us walked back to my room. I closed the door behind us and moved to my desk that was tucked in the far left corner, picking up my own notebook and pencil and discarding my towel on the back of my chair before making my way to my bed across the room where Sasuke was already sitting atop red covers.

I sat across from Sasuke with my legs crossed as I flipped through my notebook. “It's not that difficult.” I said, more so to myself as my eyes drifted over the questions. A few multiple choice and short answer questions.

_What are the fundamentals for being a successful shinobi, what is shinobi rule number four, how long can a human go without food..._

The rest of the questions begun to mesh as my focus drifted. I slowly started filling in answers.

“Iruka sensei said we would be having survival training next year.” Sasuke said, gaining my attention. I cast a glance up to see his face, filled with determination and quiet excitement.

Iruka sensei had said that we would have a week long exercise next year some time in early summer. We would be dropped into a random fenced off patch of forest and left to fend for ourselves.

“He did.” I said. “It's why we had to hunt and kill those rabbits last week and were drilled on local poisonous plants.”

Desensitization gradually became more obvious the older I got. It was everywhere, yet subtle.

It was becoming more obvious in lessons–displays and examples involving the killing of small creatures and how to skin and cook them. Stories with no censoring telling bloody tales of war. I had no doubt that within the coming years, lessons would escalate.

Actual hands on lessons were just starting to become more common. I could still see the basket of rabbits in my minds eye as I stared at my paper.

_The chattering in the training field was as apparent as ever. Iruka sensei had left us alone, saying he had to retrieve our days assignment. No one quite knew what to expect when he returned with another sensei–Mizuki–and a basket of rabbits._

_I already had a sinking feeling I knew where this was going. I was also waiting for it. It was a matter of time._

_The first rabbit that was picked up by Iruka was tan with beady black eyes that darted around and back legs that tried to kick at the hands that held it._

“I've been training with a bow! I've gotten better at hunting.” Sasuke said, pulling me from my thoughts as he smirked and scribbled an answer onto his homework. “And we have our fireball jutsu so we can make a campfire that way.”

The sudden image of the forest breaking out in fire and smoke from a fireball gone wrong popped to mind and I involuntarily laughed.

“Maybe we should just start a fire the old fashioned way.” I suggested. “You know, since... if we're out in the field, we might need to conserve chakra.”

“Hmm... Yea, that's true.” Sasuke murmured. “Do you think they'll let us work in pairs?”

“Probably.” I said, shrugging. “And if not we'll just have to find each other.”

“Yea.” Sasuke said, nodding. “Hey, what'd you get for question number fourteen?”

“122.” I replied. “What'd you get for thirteen?”

“B.” Sasuke said, scratching his pencil on his paper as he wrote down another answer.

“What do you think about our study group?” I questioned. Sasuke shrugged.

“It's... alright.” He said. “Naruto's still annoying and Ino is... weird.”

Ah. Ino.

I still couldn't quite get over her fawning over my older brother.

“Shikamaru actually _works_.” Sasuke continued, snorting.

“Those work sheets Itachi made must be challenging enough for him.” I said.

Itachi had created five worksheets, all with different math problems on them that were more advanced than what we were being taught in the academy. Curiosity got the better of me and I took a look at them at the time.

_If a kunai is thrown at an angle of 56 degrees towards the target stationed at X..._

_9 over the square root of 243 minus..._

_If the value of Y is 65.3..._

Sasuke ended up taking a sheet and trying to solve the problems himself, be it because he saw them as a challenge from Itachi or simply as a means of bettering himself, I didn't know.

A sudden knock on the door had us both look up just as it opened. Mom stuck her head in and spotted us on the bed. “Ah, there you are. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Why don't you two help me set the table?”

“Okay!” We both chorused in reply.

We hastily collected out work and set it aside before bustling out of the room towards the kitchen.

As expected, both dad and Itachi weren't home. Most of the conversation at the dinner table involved us talking about our studies and training while mom eagerly listened, a bright smile on her face as she praised us on our progress. Sasuke was still at the top of the class, and I had fallen back just a bit in class ranking, but was still within the top five.

After dinner, Sasuke returned to my room with me and we finished up our homework. He left my room and I remained sitting on the bedsheets with my notebook in hand, left alone with my thoughts.

I wonder what sort of message Shisui gave Itachi earlier? It had something to do with me, I knew that much. _A storm is coming_ , the coup? Well, by this point Shisui was 'supposed' to be spying on Itachi, wasn't he? Or did that change? I'd need to ask him later.

I doubted Shisui would tell Itachi about my foresight, so it was probably about another matter. They were working together tonight after all.

I stepped across my room and placed my notebook back on my desk and changed into my black pajamas. I opened one of my desk drawers and withdrew one of the books I’d gotten from the library on chakra control, titled _Introduction to Chakra Control,_ and another titled _The Art of Subterfuge_. I moved back to my bed and laid down on my stomach and popped open the chakra control book.

I read for at least one or two hours before mom stepped in and informed me of the time and told me to go to bed. I closed my book and placed it on my bedside table before turning off the lights and throwing my sheets back and snuggling under them, grabbing one of the few stuffed toys that rested at the head of my bed and hugging it as I closed my eyes.

As I tried to let sleep take me, I found my mind wandering once more, the darkness and the silence seeming to wrap around me like a cocoon, then–

 _Plop_.

I could pick up the faint sound of a faucet somewhere, not quite tight enough and dripping.

 _Tick_.

I didn't need to be able to see to know that the hands of the clock on my bedroom wall moved.

A brush of wind blew outside my window, and with it brought the sound of rustling leaves blowing across the ground. Fall was a pleasant season, and soon it would be winter.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. If I concentrated hard enough, I could nearly imagine the sight of a world I could no longer return to and people I would never see again.

It's easy to feel 'life-sick' as I call it–I dealt with it the first two years of my new life, but after I mourned myself, I pushed onward.

I had to.

I'd still have moments where I would remember the past and become lost in thought and stuck on little details. Who wouldn't? But I needed to focus on the present. The now.

I had to adapt if I was going to survive.

_Who I once was wont help who I am now._

I have a new family, and considering I would never be able to see my previous one again, I wasn't going to let this one fall apart.

I rolled over in my bed and curled in on myself, trying to push my thoughts away to get a decent nights sleep.

 

* * *

 

“Aiko, wake up dear.” Mom called, her voice sounding far off and gentle. I shifted beneath my covers before opening my eyes to see her looking down at me with a broad smile on her face. She'd opened my curtains and sunlight filled the room, nearly blinding to my yet-adjusted eyes.

“What time is it?” I mumbled, trying to glance past her to the clock on the wall, only to see that it was 10pm.

Wait, 10pm?

“You–... I'm late.” I said, eyes widening as I threw the covers back and hopped out of bed. I was immediately hit with a chill as I started to collect my change of clothes, only for mom's laughter to draw my attention back towards her.

“It's alright Aiko!” She said between giggles as she crossed her arms in front of herself. “We're going to do something else today.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You're... letting me _skip_?” I questioned.

While I had no doubt that mom wasn't really the type to mind letting us have off-days from the academy considering our grades, I was a bit skeptical of _dad_ agreeing.

“Yes. I have something I'd like to do with you today.” Mom said as she stepped over to my dresser tucked in the corner to the left of the door and leaned down, opening the bottom drawer. “We're going to go purchase some new clothes.”

“And you're... letting me skip so we can do _that_?” I asked, my small shoulders slumping and skepticism dripping from my voice.

“You always seem to have plans nowadays.” Mom said, waving a hand at me as she spoke. “You're either training with Shisui and Sasuke or with your study group every other day. You're not overworking yourself, are you?” She questioned, her tone turning worried as she glanced back at me.

“No, I know my limits.” I said. “Is Sasuke home?”

“No. He's at the academy. I thought we could have some mother-daughter time together. I'll be taking him out tomorrow.” Mom said, smiling as she withdrew a long sleeved high collared dark blue shirt from my drawer along with one of my thicker pairs of black pants. “Here. It's a little chilly out so you're going to take your scarf and hat too.”

I scrunched up my nose at the thought of being bundled up but I took the shirt and nodded.

“Want to eat before we go or grab something while we're out?” Mom questioned as she closed my drawer and handed me a pair of black socks. “Wear your boots too.”

And to think it hadn't even snowed yet.

“Let's eat before we go.” I said, not wanting her to waste money on food when we had plenty here to begin with. I moved to my bed and set the bundle of clothes down. Mom moved to the door.

“I'll make us omelets.” She said, closing the door and leaving me alone to change. I pulled off my pajamas and tugged on my shirt, pants and socks. Next I moved towards my desk and picked up the ankle weights that rested in my chair, fastening them into place and tugging my pants legs over them. I picked up a brush that sat on my desk and gave my hair a quick brushing before putting it back down and turning towards my bedroom door.

I moved out of my room and down the hall to the kitchen where the smell of eggs filled my nose. Mom was seated at the table with two plates and glasses of orange juice, a bright smile on her face as she glanced up towards me.

“Oh, you missed a spot.” She said as I sat down next to her. She raised a hand and ran her fingers through my hair, flattening whatever strand it was that dared to be different.

As I started to eat, I glanced around the room. “How much are we gonna buy?” I asked after swallowing my food and looking back towards her.

“I was considering two or so outfits.” Mom said as she took a sip of her orange juice. “Maybe a headband or new earrings?”

“I like these earrings best.” I said, raising a hand to touch my ear, only to realize that I hadn't put them in. “Er, the ones that Itachi got me I mean.”

“I know.” Mom said. “They look good on you.”

I picked up my glass or orange juice, just as a thought came to mind.

“Have you seen Mokutan around?” I questioned. The black cat managed to show up during our last study group session and vanished.

Mom leaned her head into her palm as she placed her elbow on the table.

“I believe your father has mentioned seeing Mokutan around the Police Force building.” Mom said.

Huh. Quite the traveler.

“You know, the reason there are so many cats that linger within the Uchiha district is because of our connection with Nekobaa.” Mom mused, raising an eyebrow at me. “The cat's are a common summon contract for our clan.”

“I thought it was because of the Inuzuka's.” I murmured. “...Can you summon cats?” I questioned, eyebrows raising.

I knew mom was a skilled shinobi, regardless of whether she was retired or not, but the thought of her being able to summon as well never crossed my mind.

“Yes.” Mom said. “If you're interested when you're older, I'm sure that you could sign the contract as well.”

I never really considered signing _any_ summon contract. The summoning jutsu was another thing that had slipped my mind.

“Does Itachi have a summoning animal?” I questioned as I took the last bite of my omelet.

“Crows.” Mom said, finishing up her own omelet and gathering up our plates and now-empty glasses. She quickly washed them and put them on the drying rack beside the sink.

I stood and pushed in my chair. Mom moved off towards the front door, stopping at the hallway closet to retrieve my hat and scarf.

Once I reached the genkan and put on my boots, she leaned down in front of me and wrapped a white wool scarf around my neck and tugged a white knit hat onto my head, planting a kiss on my forehead in the process.

“There. I know it haven’t snowed yet but that doesn’t mean you can just go out without properly bundling up.” She said with an authoritative edge in her voice, nodding to herself as she looked at me.

She herself had on a long sleeved black turtle neck top and wore thick dark brown pants. She slipped on her own black boots and stepped forward to the door, opening it up and letting me out first while she locked the door behind us.

The walk to the market was filled with small talk and questions on colors and styles. By the time we finally stepped into a clothes shop, mom was pulling me towards the girls section and pulling out suggestions every few steps.

“What about this one?” Mom asked, holding a burgundy sweater up against my body. I ran my fingers over the soft material, and nodded.

“I like it.”

“We'll get it than.” Mom said, smiling as she slung the sweater over her arm and moved down the racks of clothes towards the bottoms. “Black pants?” She questioned, and when I nodded, she picked up one of the first pairs she came into contact with that were on sale and slung it over her arm after gaining a nod from me for her choice.

“Do they have any thick hoodies?” I questioned. I'd seen some thin sleeveless ones in the summer, so I hopped there would be some for winter.

“They do.” Mom said, nodding as she gestured towards one of the racks a few steps away. I walked towards it and begun to shift through the colors until I landed on an orange one. The sight of it made Naruto come to mind and I smirked.

Orange was a nice color, but not one I would wear. I pushed it aside and circled the rack until I came back with a light blue hooide.

“I like this one.” I said, raising it up for mom to see.

“Ah, that color looks good on you, Aiko! Good choice!” Mom said, taking the article of clothing from me and giving it a nod. “We can put the Uchiha fan on the back too, if you'd like.”

“Yea.” I said, nodding. “Can we get dark blue pants to go with it?” I asked, and glanced around her towards the stacks that were on display. Mom followed my gaze and nodded.

“That'll work.” She said, moving towards the table and plucking up one of the dark blue pairs.

After picking two outfits, we moved on to socks, buying a pack of black ones and briefly looking at the hair accessories, but not picking out any to buy.

Once everything was purchased, we stepped out of the shop. Mom let me carry one of the two bags after I insisted on it and with our free hands we held hands as we started to make our way through the street.

“Let's stop by a tea shop for dango before we go home.” Mom said, smiling as she looked down at me, swinging our interlocked hands slightly. “We can grab some candy on the way home too, how does that sound?”

I perked up. “Strawberry candy?” I questioned. My favorite were strawberry hard candies and sweet strawberry mochi.

“Of course.” Mom said, laughing at the sight of my expression.

I smiled as I twirled the clothes bag at my side, careful to not let it drag on the ground.

_This is nice._

“Can we make mochi later?” I questioned, casting my gaze up towards mom who tilted her head to the side.

“We'll see.” She said, and grinned down at me as she squeezed my hand.

I was about to smile back, but the suddenly overbearing sensation of being _watched_ crept up my spine and caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. My blood ran cold as my mind blanked and I turned my gaze forward, pressing my lips into a flat line as I tried to pinpoint where the sensation had come from. I looked around without turning my head, trying to spot the culprit, but couldn't spot anyone out of place. The person was either behind me or already made their escape.

I didn't like it.

“We'll stop here.” Mom said, steering us towards a small tea shop and out of the street.

Had she sensed it too? Were they actually looking at her?

As we entered, I cast a quick look behind me, but again, couldn't spot anyone on the street or on the rooftops.

I really didn't like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's a bit uuh... family-focused I guess I could say? This chapter and the next were a tad difficult to write and actually get out and I'm not entirely sure why, I felt a bit out of it, so if something seems off about them, i apologize in advance. I proof read them over five times and nearly put off updating to proof read them again but I decided enough was enough pfft, things should be back to normal around chapter 14.
> 
> Special thanks to : matchynishi, Wecantgiggleitsacrimescene, libraryrocker, & Tiam for the comments <3  
> @ Tiam : I loved your comment LOL I headcanon that Itachi is secretly good with kids when he's not busy and given the chance, though it helps that they're friends with his siblings + clan heirs tbh
> 
> Fun fact : This chapter was nearly scrapped in it's entirety, quite bit of it was removed though, while other parts were rewritten.  
> 


	13. Chapter 13

“What component should be added to this combination to ensure the proper reaction?” Shino questioned as he sat beside Sakura and across from Naruto at our kotatsu. Kiba was slouched forward on the table, pencil in hand and chewing on the end as he glared at his paper. I sat beside Sasuke, with an elbow propped up on the table and my chin resting in my palm. Shikamaru sat beside Naruto and was working on another one of Itachi's worksheets.

Sakura pointed to a spot on Shino's paper and begun to explain the answer to him. When a small black insect crept across the paper, she flinched back but didn't bother to complain or comment, and resumed her explanation with a slightly shaky voice that gradually evened out. It was actually a considerable improvement compared to the first time one of Shino's kikaichū first got within reaching distance of her.

That first one didn't survive and Sakura had felt so bad that she nearly cried while Shino was as still as a statue. For a brief moment I thought that he would stop attending our study group because of it but Sakura's incoherent string of apologies at the time seemed enough for him and he merely said that he would be more careful, as should Sakura.

“Do you need help, Kiba?” I questioned, raising an eyebrow. Akamaru had rounded the table and I was leisurely petting him as he sat at my side, tail wagging.

“I don't get it.” Kiba said, face scrunching up as he tossed his pencil down and leaned back onto his palms with a heavy groan. “Why'd mom have to make me attend this study group thing anyway? How'd she even find out!?”

I stopped petting Akamaru and cast my gaze down to my paper and resisted the urge to whistle innocently.

“ _You want me to... talk to **Tsume Inuzuka**?” Shisui said skeptically, putting emphasis on the name._

“ _Yes.” I said, grinning at the dumbfounded look on his face. “I need Kiba in the group. He won't show up unless his mom makes him, and I have no doubt that she will.”_

“ _That's pretty evil.” Shisui said, raising an eyebrow before smiling. “Alright. I'll tell her.”_

“If Naruto can figure this out, so can you.” I said, writing an answer onto our homework for the day. Since it was getting colder, we weren’t able to spar or train as much as usual, and were confined indoors under my moms watchful eye. At the academy, we used the training halls more so than the outside field.

“I still can't believe that _Naruto_ is _improving_.” Kiba said, not even trying to hide the sour edge to his tone.

“Why? Cause you can't?” Naruto said tauntingly, grinning from ear to ear.

“I can improve if I want to!” Kiba shot back, teeth bared.

“Then why don't you?” I questioned, and gestured with my pencil to his paper. Kiba gave me a look that said he hated me before leaning forward and picking up his discarded pencil, mumbling under his breath.

“Sakura, how are your chakra control studies going?” I questioned, turning my attention to the pinkette at my right.

“Good!” Sakura chirped, smiling at the change in subject. “I've gotten through the first volume you lent me and read the second.” She explained. “And the anatomy book is a bit harder but nothing I can't handle. Its actually kind of interesting.”

“Glad to hear it.” I said. “If you need help, just ask. How's the taijutsu training?”

“I can hold out a little longer against Hinata now.” Sakura said, smiling. “She still beats me but I'm getting better.”

I nodded to myself. Good. “I know what that's like. Sasuke beats me all the time.” I said, and laughed to myself while Sasuke snorted beside me. I turned my attention to the left side of the table.

“Naruto, hows your clone jutsu?” I asked. Naruto glanced up from his paper and grinned.

“It can stand up now! It's still not great but _it can stand up!_ ” Naruto said excitedly. “I'll master it, just you wait!”

“Aiko,” Shino started, gaining my attention. “The sixth question on your sheet is wrong.”

I blinked, brows knitting together as I looked down to see two black kikaichū skittering across my paper and back towards Shino. I felt my skin crawl as I forced on a smile. He was only trying to help, after all.

“Thank you, Shino.” I said politely, moving to change my answer.

Our study group for today consisted of myself, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Naruto, Sakura, Kiba and Shino. We managed to get Shino and Kiba a week ago, with little struggle.

“ _So... are you interested?” I asked. I had turned around in my seat and was looking up at Shino who sat behind us. Sasuke turned his head to look over his shoulder while Hinata had tried to help me in convincing the Aburame to attend our study group._

“ _I am.” Shino said, shifting in his seat. “Why? Because you seem insistent on the matter, and I am... in need of assistance.” He said sheepishly._

“ _Oh.” I said, unable to keep my brows from rising. I actually thought Shino was pretty smart. Maybe he was just aiming for perfection? No he wasn't that kind of guy... was he?_

“ _W-we can help you, S-shino.” Hinata said from beside me, offering a hesitant smile._

“ _I will attend.” Shino said, nodding once._

“ _Who the hell wants to join **your** study group?!” A voice shouted from across the classroom. Our heads all turned in the direction of the sound, finding Kiba glaring at Naruto who was standing beside his desk. The blond boy growled._

“ _It's not mine! It's Aiko's! She told me to invite you!” Naruto shot back, voice equally as loud and grating._

“ _Ha? Than why isn't she the one asking?!” Kiba shot back._

“ _Kiba! Join our study group!” I shouted across the room. All eyes shot to me and I promptly felt my face redden as I shrunk back down into my seat and was slowly filled with regret._

_A bark of laughter drifted to my ears._

“ _I've never heard you so loud before, Aiko! That was gold!” Kiba said, still laughing while Naruto scowled._

“ _So? You coming or what?” Naruto demanded, Kiba rolled his eyes._

“ _Dunno. Don't feel like it.” Kiba said, grinning and showing off sharp canine teeth._

“ _Why you–!” Naruto looked as if he were about to attack but Iruka entered and brought order back to the class, along with a complaint for shouting._

Not everyone could come every other day but I was glad to see that there were returning visitors. Shikamaru, despite being lazy, never missed a single day and Chōji tried to follow his example. Ino had to miss a few days every now and then because she was required to help out at her family's flower shop, and Sakura was nearly always present. Shino was a wild card and Hinata could only keep attending if there was visible improvement, but she would miss a few days now and then. Kiba, like Shino, was unpredictable, though for entirely different reasons. It wasn't until his mom caught wind of our little group that he became a more frequent, albeit grouchy, visitor.

I wonder how well Shikamaru and Kiba's moms get along?

“So, where's your older brother at?” Shikamaru asked, and yawned. “Mission?”

“Mission.” Me and Sasuke both said at the same time.

“And uh... Shisui?” Naruto asked, surprisingly able to remember the name. Shisui only managed to drop by once, and it was briefly and for the sole purpose of informing me that he would be late to train me the following day.

“Busy.” I said, filling in the answer to the next question. Sasuke stopped writing beside me.

“Hmm. Can we do something else?” Naruto asked as he tapped his pencil on his paper and slouched forward. I cast a glance across the table top and could just make out a few doodles beside a handful of answers on his paper. I wasn't surprised that his attention was already wavering.

“Like what?” I questioned.

“I wanna practice the clone jutsu again!” Naruto said, straightening up and rocking in place while staring at me with wide, hope-filled eyes. “ _Pleeease_! I swear I'll finish my homework after I practice a little!”

I stared at him for a long moment, before sighing. “Alright, fine, but don't cause a mess or anything. Mom will yell at you.”

“How could Naruto cause a mess from simply performing the clone jutsu?” Shino questioned innocently.

“It's _Naruto_.” Kiba said, as if it were obvious.

Naruto was already standing off to the side and performing the hand seals. A puff of smoke erupted beside him and a clone stood up straight and didn't flop over as many versions had in the past. It was still dull in color but its shape was much more accurate to the real deal.

“Well what do you know.” Kiba said, grinning as Akamaru barked. “He _is_ getting better.”

“Ha! Told you, mangy mutt!” Naruto said, jabbing a finger in Kiba's direction as he grinned cheekily.

“What'd you call me!? I gave you a compliment, idiot!” Kiba shot back, growling as he moved to stand.

“I hope you two aren't about to fight.” Mom said, just as she stepped into the room with a tray of cups. “If you are, do it outside, in the cold.”

Kiba faltered while Naruto immediately dispelled his clone, wide eyed and looking incredibly guilty.

Mom set the tray on the table and cast a quick glance over all of our papers. “My, you all must be progressing higher in class ranking, huh?”

“As if I’d let them surpass me.” Sasuke mumbled, scribbling his next answer onto his paper.

Mom smiled before stepping back out of the room. I looked back to find that Naruto was already performing the hand seals once more, getting the same result.

I cast my gaze back towards Shino. He was adamantly working on his homework, and seemed like he was nearly finished.

“Say, Shino, is there anything you need help with? I mean, besides some of the bookwork from class.” I questioned. Shino stopped writing and turned his head in my direction. Thanks to his shades, I couldn't tell if he was looking at me or not.

“There is always room for improvement.” Shino said. “If possible, I would like to train with my kikaichū.”

“Well, I can meet up with you at the academy early so we can use the training hall? Or we can do something during our lunch break.” I suggested. Shino bobbed his head and turned his attention back to his paper. Definitely a kid of few words.

“You know, your place reeks of cat.” Kiba said, causing me to raise an eyebrow. He grinned as Akamaru sniffed around and barked in response. “In fact, the whole compound reeks of cat.”

“Is that a... problem?” I questioned.

“Nope, just a fact.” Kiba said, shrugging as he cast a glance to Akamaru. The small dog was traversing the room and sniffing everything, before falling over and rolling on the floor.

“I guess it's a good thing Mokutan isn't here this time.” Shikamaru said as he filled in another answer.

 

* * *

 

Things were progressing in a good direction after a few weeks. With the passing of time, I would meet with Shisui to discuss our progress and plans every few months.

I managed to learn how to walk a short distance up a tree, but water walking still needed work. Our training had shifted to include more stealth training–how to leave the least amount of tracks, how to tell the direction of the wind and how to hide your scent. It snowed recently, which allowed for me to practice walking on top of snow rather than letting my feet sink into it. It was challenging, to say the least. Like water walking but without the movement of ripples and waves. Not quite as solid as a tree, delicate and easier to crush with chakra.

Hopefully I’d be able to learn the camouflage technique in the future, but at a later time considering it's an A-rank jutsu.

So far our study group has earned a few whispers and stares among the clan. Nothing overly influential, but there has been curious chatter. Sometimes, Shikamaru, Chōji, or even Sakura's mom would show up and talk with my mom while we all worked on our studies and trained. Kiba warned us that Tsume would probably pay a visit at some point.

I'm sure that would be _interesting_.

Shisui stretched and took a seat at his kitchen table while I sat across from him with a slice of sponge cake in front of me, idly eating it as I waited for Shisui to start talking.

Today we stopped training early due to the dropping temperature. After ending training early, we decided to drop by his place to discuss matters

“You know, Itachi's eventually going to think I'm trying to kidnap you.” Shisui joked, propping an elbow on the table and resting his chin in his hand.

“You gave me cake.” I said, gesturing at the slice of sponge cake in front of me.

“And?”

“If I get more, I wont tell him.” I said, smiling as I took another bite. Shisui snorted and rolled his eyes.

“You know, words been spreading about your study group.” Shisui said, raising an eyebrow and smirking. “Especially considering it has so many clan heirs.”

“Oh, I have no idea what you're talking about.” I said, shrugging and batting my eyes as I took another bite of cake.

“People are saying it's a good sign if the daughter of the clan head can forge ties with other clans.” Shisui begun, exhaling through his nose. I glanced up towards his face as he spoke. “Fugaku's begun recruiting some people from the Nara and Aburame clan for the Police Force.”

Good. I was wondering when the Hokage would actually pull through with that.

“How are the other members in the Police Force taking to the change?” I asked carefully, eating the last bite of sponge cake and pushing the plate aside.

Shisui wasn't an official member of the force, but frequented the building enough to pick up on some of the info that floated around.

“There are a bunch of mixed opinions.” Shisui began, eyes drifting around the kitchen as he spoke. “There are some who are still bitter towards the village, and think that recruiting more people outside of the Uchiha clan into the Police Force will be counterproductive and instead of strengthening ties, they think we're just giving up too much ground.”

 _Well fuck_ , I thought, frowning. First they don't want to be stuck with the Police Force and now they don't want it to be anyone else's business?

“There are some who are grateful for the change, though.” Shisui added. “They think it's good that the responsibility of the village's security isn't solely on the Uchiha anymore.” He said, and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he went. “Because the Police Force building is in the Uchiha district, this creates more traffic in and out of the compound.”

Good. Traffic is good.

“Are there still whispers about a coup?” I asked, leaning forward onto the table.

“There are.” Shisui said, frowning.

 _Double fuck_ , I thought, unable to contain the sigh that seeped out of me. Well, I doubted it could be dealt with immediately.

“Is there still support for it?” I asked.

“There is.” Shisui said, frowning. “If things keep going the way they are, I think it could still go either way.”

“We need it to go _one_ way.” I said, frowning. “How are things going with the Hokage? You don't talk about what you two do much.”

“We've been discussing various matters, one of which regards the Uchiha's position within the village.” Shisui started. “There aren't many Uchiha that are anything more than Police Force members or jōnin at best, Itachi managed to enter anbu, like myself, but there aren't that many Uchiha in anbu to begin with. Even then, we don't hold any leeway within the governing of the village itself. Those within the Police Force have to remain neutral.”

“So... you think that the Uchiha should be given a political position of power?” I questioned. “There's no way Danzō would allow that.”

“Right.” Shisui said, nodding. “He wouldn't.”

While it would probably be beneficial, what would the Uchiha even do with more power? How would they even get it? I doubted one could just be made a member of the council, and Fugaku was the clan head and already attended the meetings just like all the other clan heads and things were _still_ bumpy. Making an Uchiha the Hokage was too far-fetched and the council would still be the biggest road block, if that were even an option... They weren’t actually _considering_ the Hokage position, were they?

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and frowned at the thought.

“This is all just up in the air right now, Aiko. Don't worry.” Shisui said, smiling reassuringly upon noticing my change in mood.

“Just... be careful, okay?” I said, my voice sounding small and quiet. “Be careful about Danzō.”

“Of course.” Shisui said. “We're just thinking of multiple scenarios and options is all. We aren't going to do anything rash or too suddenly.”

“...What were the other thing's you discussed?” I questioned. With the thought of them possibly considering the Hokage position still fresh in my mind, I was incredibly curious and mildly concerned thanks to my paranoia kicking in.

“We've talked about relocating the Uchiha closer again, perhaps a few blocks from the Nara compound. There are quite a few vacant apartments in the area that could be demolished or re-purposed for use.” Shisui started, relaxing back into his seat. “There's talk of permitting the Akimichi to open a new restaurant near the compound too.”

“Really?” I said. “Isn't that a bit too...” I trailed off, not quite able to grasp what I wanted to say. Too straight forward? Too direct?

“It could bring the civilian villagers closer to the Uchiha district.” Shisui said, standing up and picking up my long forgotten plate and moving to place it in the sink. “There's also talk of a joint Nara-Uchiha project regarding eye drops.”

_Eye drops?_

“You've been... busy.” I noted.

Shisui turned on the sink and washed the plate, before setting it into the drying rack to his left. “We've been talking about you, too.” Shisui started, drying his hands and returning to his seat. “Nothing bad.”

“That just makes me want to know more.” I countered, already suspicious.

“Like I said before, a lot of the stuff I discuss with the Hokage is up in the air. If it actually becomes something worth considering, I'll tell you.” Shisui said.

“...Alright.” I said, still curious but willing to let the matter drop. Shisui looked thoughtful as silence grew between us.

“I have a question about your visions.” Shisui started, frowning slightly.

I raised an eyebrow.

“About how much time do we have left?” He asked.

It was currently late January, and Itachi would be turning twelve this year, in roughly six months while myself and Sasuke would be turning seven.

“I know that it happens when Itachi is thirteen, but I don't know the specific date.” I admitted, frowning as I shifted in my seat nervously. “The same goes for your life around that time.”

“So in about...eighteen months.” Shisui announced, frowning.

Huh, actually thinking of it in months instead of years made it seem a lot more close. I bit my lip.

“...We should try to get that relocation processed before then.” I suggested wearily. “Is Itachi aware of the coup d'état?” I asked.

“He is.” Shisui said and crossed his arms as silence grew between us. It was foreboding and heavy.

Eighteen months.

I took a deep breath and licked my dry lips before I spoke, deciding to change the subject.

“...You know, I told dad that Itachi should be a teacher.” I whispered. Shisui immediately snorted, causing the tense atmosphere to vanish.

“And how did that go?” Shisui questioned.

“He didn't like it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two chaps were bumpy for me and thus I wished to get them out of the way *sweats nervously* they were heavily edited and changed and I'm just now satisfied with them enough to move on. In order to try and get back into the mood I wrote a far future scene that I've been planning from the start. It helped me a bit thankfully.  
> Next chapter feels better to me which I'm glad about. Izumi appears~
> 
> Fun fact : When i first made this fic, I tried to google Shisui's age since it's not actually clear or on the wiki etc.  
> I read multiple pages and theories, the first one I read would make him eight years older than Aiko and three years older than Itachi, and i thought "eh I can see that". I progress to read a few more and some threads and pages even talk about him maybe being in his 50s??? And I'm sitting here, adjusting my glasses like "damn son, dem Uchiha genes must be just as bangin as the Uzumaki's."  
> Bonus fun fact : Because of this I only describe him in the fic as being 'older' so that the reader can imagine him however they see fit.  
> God have mercy on me if I ever hit a point where I actually need his age cause he's not gonna be 50-something I know that much.


	14. Chapter 14

“Alright, I want you to drop this off for your father.” Mom said, handing me a bento that was wrapped up snuggly in a tan cloth.

“He's at the Police Force building, right?” I questioned. Mom nodded as she turned back towards the sink to pick up a towel.

“All you have to do is walk in and tell the person at the front desk you're delivering his lunch and they should tell you where he's at.” Mom said, turning me in place and pushing me forward slightly towards the hall. “Go on now, don't keep your father waiting.”

I blinked down at the bundle in my hands, still warm, and made my way to the genkan to put on my sandals. It was already spring, and the weather was gradually becoming more pleasant.

With my footwear on, I pushed my way out past the door, and into the street, turning in the direction of the Police Force building.

Kunoichi classes had been canceled for the day, and I was able to come home early for once, which meant I had some free time before I had to meet up with Shisui. Mom decided to give me an errand to run in the meantime, and entrusted me with delivering dad's lunch.

I had never _actually_ been inside of the Police Force building before. I've passed by it and even briefly stepped in through the front doors but never did I show up just because I thought it would be a good place to kill time. Nor did I ever venture past the lobby.

As I neared the building, I looked up towards its imposing structure. Two entrances on both the left and right, a cylindrical set of windows reaching up towards the Police Force crest with two circular windows on either side.

I stepped in through the door to my right and was hit with the scent of paper and crispness of some sort of cleaner. A professional air hung within the space that reminded me of the Hokage's tower.

All eyes in the room briefly shifted to me before turning back to whatever they were doing. A young man sat behind the front desk. They didn't quite look like an Uchiha–maybe a Nara? As I approached, he raised an eyebrow.

“Hello.” I said tentatively.

“Hello.” They replied, smiling hesitantly, a brief look of confusion crossing their face. Understandable.

“I'm here to deliver my dad's- Fugaku's lunch.” I said, correcting myself partway through and dropping his name. The man suddenly had a knowing glint in his eye before he nodded.

“Alright, well if you take the stairs on the left,” The man explained, gesturing to the left side of the lobby. “you'll reach the second floor. Follow the hall, take your first right, then left, and his office door is right there.”

“Alright, thanks.” I said, turning away from him and making my way towards the stairwell. Slightly confusing directions, but how hard could it be?

I followed the mans directions as best I could, and to my surprise, I managed to find dad's office. I knocked on the door, and waited for permission to enter.

Seconds ticked by and when there was no answer, I raised a hand to knock again but halted when a voice boomed out towards me.

“Come in!”

He didn't sound very... _good_.

I opened the door and stepped into the room. Dad's desk was placed perfectly within the center of the cylindrical windows, letting the sunlight shine into the room with ease. He was sitting in his chair, hands laced in front of his face as he leaned forward. Two other men were standing in front of his desk and gave me rather intense, calculating looks.

One had ash gray hair that stood up straight at an angle that reminded me of Kakashi. His eyes were squinted and his skin lightly tanned, The other had shoulder length black hair and dark eyes with a deep frown on his face. Both wore the standard Konoha shinobi attire, with the added bonus of the Police Force crest on the shoulder.

“Aiko, what are you doing here?” Dad questioned. As my name was dropped, the two strangers in the room stiffened, looks of recognition crossing their faces.

“Mom told me to drop off your lunch.” I said, moving to step forward between the two men and placed the wrapped bento on his desk. “She said stop skipping out on eating or she's going to sneak curry into your meals.”

The two strangers in the room shifted in place, moving to cover their mouth as grins formed. Dad closed his eyes and sighed.

“And she would, wouldn't she.” He said, more so to himself than to me. “Alright. Thank you Aiko.” He said, and I stepped back from his desk, prepared to turn to take my leave but he spoke up, halting my movements. “Kunoichi classes were canceled today, right? You're meeting with Shisui later?”

I turned my gaze back to him as I spoke. “Yes. I'll be meeting with Shisui in less than an hour.”

“Oh, so you're the kid he's been devoting so much time to.” The black haired man said.

“We were wondering why he seemed to be so distracted.” The gray haired man added, crossing his arms. “Itachi as well.”

I frowned slowly at the way they looked at me. “Sorry, I like to spend lots of time with them.”

“You like spending lots of time with other clan kids too.” The gray haired man said, frowning.

“That's enough, Inabi, Yashiro.” Dad said, causing the two to scowl but remain silent. Dad turned his attention back to me. “How is training with Shisui going?” He asked, gaze hard as he seemed to consider something left unspoken.

I cast a quick glance at Inabi and Yashiro before speaking. “I'm getting better chakra control. I'm able to use body flicker.” I said, trailing off. “My accuracy with kunai has improved considerably. I've learned how to best handle ninja wire and how to use it with the fireball jutsu.” I cocked my head to the side. “I can walk up a tree now, I'm currently working on water walking, due to the improved weather.”

“Good. And your studies at the academy?” Dad questioned. I resisted the urge to frown. Why was he asking all of this in front of these two men?

“I've retained my spot within the class ranking.” I said, my gaze drifting to his desk as I spoke. “I still receive near perfect scores and work with Sasuke to ensure that we don't fall behind.”

Sakura was gradually climbing the class ranking for kunoichi, and I had no doubt she would eventually top my score. Most of my advantage came from having learned most of the basics in my past life already, so when we finally hit something more advanced, I'd actually need to put in the effort to study. Hinata was still difficult to beat in taijutsu, and thanks to our study groups, I was essentially helping them surpass me in class ranking.

I didn't really mind. Dad though?

“You should devote more time to studying.” He said, sighing. “Second best isn't good enough.”

Blunt. Honest. To the point.

Didn't mean I didn't feel a little bit upset at the statement.

“Of course.” I said, nodding and shoving my hurt pride aside.

“You can go. I won't be home for dinner.” Dad said, waving a hand at me. I gave a curt bow and quickly saw myself out, not pausing along the way until I was out of the building and finally able to breathe.

I started to walk back home, just as a black cat– _Mokutan?_ –passed before me, sprinting off to the right side of the street and out of sight. Two other cats shortly followed.

I guess Mokutan is hanging around the Police Force building after all.

I resumed walking back home and by the time I reached the front door, Sasuke was stepping out. At the sight of me, his face lit up.

“Aiko, do you wanna go and train?” Sasuke asked.

“Sorry, Sasuke. I'm just stopping by to tell mom I finished her errand and than I'll be meeting up with Shisui. You can join us if you want?” I replied, stepping past him and discarding my sandals. My eyes spotted an extra pair of sandals neatly placed off to the side. A visitor?

When I received no reply I looked back to see Sasuke standing in the doorway looking distracted before he shrugged. “Maybe.” He said, turning and closing the door behind himself as he left.

I frowned slowly and bit my lip as I moved onward towards the kitchen. As soon as I stepped in, I was hit with the scent of ginger and vanilla. Mom stood at one of the counters, while another girl stood to her right and held two eggs. She was shorter than mom but taller than me, and seemed to be around Itachi's age. She had long brown hair that was tied back and wore a high collared sleeveless dark purple top with the Uchiha fan on the back along with baggy blue pants.

“Mom, I gave dad his lunch.” I called, stepping further into the kitchen to get a better idea of what was being made.

“Oh, thank you Aiko.” Mom said, turning around to face me while the other girl cracked the eggs into the bowl and resumed stirring it's contents. “I'm making cookies with Izumi, you remember Izumi, right?”

I looked back to the girl in question. She had picked up the bowl and was cradling it in her arm as she stirred and smiled down at me.

“It's been a while, Aiko! You've gotten older.” She said, and laughed. “I remember when you were just a little tiny baby.”

Ah, right. Izumi Uchiha. She rarely visited, in fact, I'd only met her around three other times in my life. Once during the nine tails attack when I was still a baby, another time when she briefly stopped by for one of our earlier birthdays, and then the last being a brief encounter on the street a few months ago.

“You're visiting?” I questioned. Izumi nodded as she gestured to the bowl in her arms.

“I stopped by to see how things were and your mom was baking and I offered to help.” Izumi said. “She said I could take some of the cookies home when they're done. You don't mind if I take some, right Aiko?” Izumi asked, grinning at me as she spoke.

“You can take as many as you want since you're helping to make them.” I said, shrugging. “I can share.”

A brief look of confusion crossed Izumi's face at my reply, before she quickly caught herself.

“Aww, you're so nice Aiko!” Izumi said, smiling as she turned back to mom. “Could I get the recipe for these to give to my mom?”

“Of course.” Mom said, moving to one of the cabinets and pulling out a baking sheet. “The cookies should be finished by the time you return home Aiko, but none till after dinner, alright?” She said, waving a finger at me and narrowing her eyes.

“Alright.” I said, smiling, and turned to tread off to my room but paused. “Mom, where'd Sasuke go? I didn't get to ask when he left.”

“To the park.” Mom said as she turned the oven on.

“Oh.” I said, and slipped down the hall and made my way into my own room. I gathered up my kunai holster and strapped it to my upper right thigh and snatched up a black bag, stuffing in a change of clothes just in case water walking was on today's agenda.

Satisfied, I exited my room and returned to the genkan, reequipping my sandals and bidding mom and Izumi a quick ' _see you later_ ' before leaving.

I sprinted to our usual training spot in the forest, and upon my arrival, Shisui was nowhere in sight.

I frowned as I crossed my arms, looking around for any sign of him. The forest was quiet, save for the light rustling of leaves and chirping of birds.

I tossed my bag to the base of a nearby tree and as soon as it left my hand, the whistle of metal sailing through the air reached my ears and on reflex I stumbled sideways, away from the sound, rounding the tree to take cover.

Four shuriken impaled around the area I was standing in and the next thing I knew, four more were flying towards me. I ducked and rolled to another tree for cover, reaching into my holster and withdrawing a kunai that I positioned in front of myself defensively. When another shuriken flew through the trees towards me, I raised my kunai up to deflect it and used body flicker to clear the distance to the next tree.

“You know, the puff of smoke gives away your position.” Shisui's voice called towards me, causing me to roll my eyes.

“So does casually conversing with the pretend-enemy.”

 

* * *

 

I raised my hands up to my hair and wrung out the water from the river we'd used for training. I fell in at least five times. The water was cold, not quite freezing but cold enough. I was thankful that I could regulate my body temperature with my chakra to alleviate the chill by at least a few degrees.

“You know, you're mean.” I commented, glaring at Shisui who smiled in response, showing off white teeth.

“Oh?” He questioned. “How so?”

When the water had started to calm and the ripples weren’t as apparent, Shisui made it a point to make _waves_. If that wasn't enough, he thought dodging while practicing water walking would be great, and it was... after the first throw shocked me so much that it caused my concentration to shatter and I plummeted into the water like a brick.

I narrowed my eyes and leveled him with a deadpan stare.

“I'm gonna change.” I said, not answering him and moving back towards the forest, grabbing my change of clothes. I found a decent clump of bushes and cover and changed into dry clothes. I took a moment to wring out the water from my old outfit and wrapped it in a towel that I replaced back into my bag. Emerging back out to the river, I saw Shisui standing beside it. Hearing my approach, he turned around.

“I think with a little more practice, you'll be able to water walk perfectly.” He noted. “We should find a taller tree for you to practice walking up later.”

“And my dodging?” I questioned as he started walking. I sprinted and fell into step beside him.

“Good. A little slow and clumsy, but good.” Shisui said.

I cocked my head to the side as I thought over out initial encounter at the start of training.

Shisui started our training that way nearly three weeks ago. Every time we met, we would spend the first part of training that way, and it was proving effective but I wasn't sure if it was enough.

“Do you think you can put traps around?” I questioned. Shisui blinked.

“Are you sure?” He questioned.

“Yea, I want to add it to the training. It doesn’t have to be a lot, maybe pitfalls or tripwires or something, I dunno.” I said, shrugging. “Something else to keep me on my toes.”

I got scratched up the first few times by shuriken, but I expected as much. Shisui never actually aimed at vital spots, which I was grateful for, but that didn't mean he didn't aim at all.

The first time I came home, mom assumed I got into a fight with a bunch of cats.

When I actually got around to looking in a mirror, I agreed with her.

“Aiko, are you sure you're not trying to push yourself too fast?” Shisui questioned as we made our way through the forest and back towards the village.

“I'm sure.” I said, shrugging. “Besides, our class is having that week long survival exercise thing soon, remember?”

“I do.” Shisui said, sighing. “Did you want to drop by the library or anything before we drop you back home?”

“Hmm...” I glanced around the trees in thought. “Yea. The library.”

“What books do you have in mind this time?”

“Trapping and genjutsu.” I said. “We just started learning how to cast some basic genjutsu at the academy and I want to read up on it a bit more.”

“Ah, genjutsu.” Shisui said, grinning. “Good way to prank someone.”

“...Did you _prank_ people with _genjutsu_?” I asked skeptically, looking up to see that his grin had widened.

“Maybe.”

Well... I'm not sure if I should be surprised or not.

“It wasn't exactly uncommon. Lots of kids do it in the academy.” Shisui said, shrugging. “I'm sure someone in your class will.”

_...Was Shisui a prankster as a child?_

“The best one was always the 'decapitated head' on the floor or disembodied whispering.”

My list of questions only grew.

“... Genjutsu aside, um.” I tried to think up some sort of subject change but my mind was still stuck on _Shisui was a prankster_.

...Or was he just kidding?

I frowned.

“Is it that hard to believe?” Shisui questioned upon spotting the conflicted look on my face.

“A little.” I admitted. “So... is there anything else you can suggest for me to work on?” I asked, deciding to push the conversation forward _somehow_.

“Well, your father still drills you on taijutsu with Sasuke. And your mom helps you with your shuriken throwing sometimes right? You should ask her about genjutsu too.” Shisui started. “You already said I should start trapping the area, I don't think we should add in anything else yet.”

“I guess.” I said, frowning. There was something I was forgetting, I just knew it.

We made our way to the library and I managed to get the books I wanted with ease. Shisui walked me back home. As I entered, I announced my return home, the smell of cookies filled the air. Shisui wasted no time in removing his sandals and making his way to the kitchen. I followed after him, carrying my bag of wet clothes with me to drop off in the bathroom hamper later.

“Ah, Shisui!” Izumi said, taking a tray out of the oven with dark blue oven mitts on her hands. “I didn't expect to see you here.”

“I didn't expect to see you either, Izumi.” Shisui said, stepping forward and picking up one of the cookies that was already on one of the cooling racks. Izumi placed the tray on top of the oven and removed the mitts before speaking.

“I'm helping Mikoto.” Izumi said, plucking one of the cookies off the cooling rack and handing it to me. She raised a finger to her lips and smiled as I took the cookie. “Don't tell Mikoto.” She whispered. I snorted and nodded while taking a bite. There was a heavy ginger flavor along with a sweetness like honey.

“Where's mom?” I questioned. Izumi sighed and crossed her arms.

“Sasuke's late so she went to grab him.” Izumi said. “She said she wouldn't be long though, so don't worry.”

When anyone say's 'don't worry', I typically want to worry.

“...Oh.” I said quietly, finishing up my cookie as Izumi narrowed her eyes at me.

“Aiko, why's your shirt inside out?” She questioned. I blinked, and looked down at my shirt, sure enough the bottom stitching was showing, along with the stitching on the arms.

I heard Shisui quietly snort, covering his mouth with a fist as I felt my face flush.

“I walked around the village like this.” I said to myself, horror stricken.

“The Uchiha crest on the back looks kind of funny.” Izumi noted, eating another cookie as she looked me over curiously while standing beside Shisui. I frowned and sprinted from the room towards the bathroom. I dumped my wet clothes into the hamper. I took my shirt off, turning it the right way before putting it back on.

Stepping back out, I walked back to the kitchen where both Uchiha still stood.

“I'm telling you, it's honey!” Izumi said.

“Are you sure it's not maple?” Shisui questioned.

“It's honey!”

“Alright, alright, it's honey.” Shisui caved, waving a cookie nonchalantly as he spoke.

“And stop eating them.” Izumi said, picking up the cooling rack of cookies and moving them to another counter and away from Shisui. “Mikoto will think I ate them all at this rate.”

“How many have you eaten?” I questioned as I stepped back into the kitchen and took a seat at the dinner table.

“...That's not important.” Izumi said hesitantly.

The sound of the front door opening brought all conversation to a halt as moms voice trailed through the house announcing her return. I spotted Sasuke walk past the kitchen entrance, shortly followed by mom who stepped into the room, casting her gaze across each of us before her eyes landed on me.

“You didn't eat a cookie, did you?” Mom questioned.

“No.” I said, smiling.

“The last batch came out of the oven not long ago, Mikoto.” Izumi said, gesturing towards the baking sheet on the oven.

“Thank you, Izumi. You're a great help.” Mom said, sighing as she moved over to one of the kitchen drawers and pulled out a paper that she handed off to Izumi. “Here's that recipe. Copy it down and bring it back, alright?”

“Alright.” Izumi said, beaming as she looked over the slip of paper. “Is Sasuke alright?”

“He seems a bit upset but he should be fine.” Mom said, patting Izumi on the shoulder as she moved to place the rest of the cookies on the cooling rack.

“I'll take my leave.” Shisui said, waving at me and Izumi and saying his farewell to mom before leaving the room, shortly after the sound of the front door closing confirmed that he was gone.

“I'll go ahead and go too.” Izumi said, smiling as she picked up a small plastic bag of cookies. “See you later, Mikoto, Aiko!” She chirped, stepping out of the room and exiting the house herself.

As I sat at the kitchen table, I swung my feet while I watched mom drift around the kitchen to prepare for dinner. “Mom, can you tell me about genjutsu?” I asked. “Shisui said to ask you to help me with it.”

“He did, did he?” Mom mused, placing a pan on one of the burners and moving to retrieve some vegetables from the fridge that she placed beside the sink to be washed.

“Yea.” I said, nodding. “Can you?”

“I can.” Mom said, pulling out a cutting board and knife.

“Great, thanks!” I said, smiling as I watched her begin to wash the vegetables. “I can help you cut them.” I offered.

“Go ahead.” Mom said. I hopped out of my chair and walked over to the counter, retrieving the knife and cutting board and turning to place them on the dining table, hopping back into my seat just as mom placed a green pepper in front of me.

“You're going to be having that week long survival exercise soon right?” Mom questioned over the sound of running water.

“Yea.” I replied, slicing the knife through the pepper and letting it _clack_ onto the cutting board.

“Be careful, and don't get too beat up. Be sure to boil your water, and don't eat any strange wild berries.” Mom said. “And don't go too long without hunting.” She added.

“I know.” I said, laughing lightly. “I'll be careful.”

“Good.” Mom said, smiling as she returned her attention to the sink.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Updates will prob slow down a bit given the holiday season (and I'm literally Pokemon trash right now rip my 3ds battery).  
> This chapter was rather fun to write! Especially after struggling with the last two. I have a layout for the next few chaps but as always things might be changed and scrapped.  
> On a side note, hellooo Izumi, I like writing her *nodnod* hopefully you all will like my take on not-big-sis Izumi. She's not going to be a frequent character till later if things go according to plan~
> 
> Special thanks to : Mesonoxian, Orlha, Wecantgiggleitsacrimescene, Samestclasse, MorriganFreeman, and aprill101 for the lovely comments last chapter~<3
> 
> Fun fact : Besides Aiko, Shisui is my favorite character to write. I hope that people enjoy my take on Shisui, i try to make him a decent balance of serious (when the situation calls for it) and humorous (the type that's child friendly and open-ended). Reliable, patient, perceptive.


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